


Cross Roads (Original)

by DarkMeb (StAtS6)



Series: Hunters [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-01-23 14:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 55,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StAtS6/pseuds/DarkMeb
Summary: Cross RoadsThis takes place in Buffy Season 2, sometime after Lie To Me.Author's Note - This was written for Xander/Willow fans. This is also a Crossover of Buffy the Vampire Slayer/X-Files.Summary: A terrorist known as the Speaker kidnaps Willow, and Xander begins to realize his true feelings for the only girl he has ever loved. In the meantime, Spike agrees to a truce with Angel for a common goal while Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully team up with Rupert Giles with a lead on Willow's location. Buffy teams up with friends of Willows parents who are agents with an agenda of their own. Terrorism is something Buffy has never faced before...but something else threatens Sunnydale. Something evil...an evil thought once destroyed. (NOTE-this was written without prior knowledge of Season 3 and beyond. This follows the trail of an alternate timeline.)Disclaimer: The characters of Jeremiah, Michael & Stacy Lenox, Albert Barrington, & Billy Fronk are mine. They belong to me. The characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully belong to Chris Carter. All characters from Buffy, and familiar phrases and scenes belong to Joss.Rating - PG-13 - L/V





	1. An Interview

Willow Rosenberg opened her eyes...and she had to close them again abruptly because there was a bright light above her, shining directly into her eyes. She reflexively tried to bring her hands up to shade her eyes from the light, but she soon discovered to her dismay that she was unable to. Her hands were bound to something and she couldn't see what it was. An overpowering feeling of panic began to take her as she struggled in vain with her bounds. It was no use, however, and she forced herself to stop trying long enough to think things through.

She sat still and closed her eyes. _Don't freak out, Willow...stay calm. Th-this is only just a bad dream..._ Although her heart was still racing, she managed to take several deep breaths and tried to make herself calm. It was no easy task, unfortunately. She could not yet convince herself that this wasn't some kind of bad dream.

Finally, she opened her eyes again.

The light was still bright, but her eyes adjusted to it and it helped not to look directly into it. Her eyes adjusted well enough to know she was sitting in a chair that was bolted to the floor. Her wrists were tied to the arms of the chair just as her ankles were bound to the front legs of the chair. She stared, half in horror and half in fascination, as she tried to make sense of what her senses were telling her. She just couldn't imagine why she was tied to a chair and yet the inescapable conclusion was evidently clear.

"I'm tied to a chair..." she whispered, amazed.

She had often wondered how she was going to die. After all, many young teenagers the world over had the question of how they would die cross their minds a time or two. But living in Sunnydale and surviving the horrors that most adults knew nothing about, Willow had wondered about death more than just a time or two. It crossed her mind several times that one terrible night, a vampire would finally catch her and feed upon her. Or she would meet her horrible fate with a giant bug squashing her. It was possible she would meet a witch who would turn her into a toad...or something worst. Or perhaps bed bugs would really bite. Or...

There were many other ways of possible death scenarios she had envisioned...but what kind of monster would tie her up to a chair and shine a bright light in her face?

_Certainly not vampires!_

_And who would want to kidnap me?_ she thought frantically. She remembered that her mothers high school friend had come to visit, and...

Suddenly she remembered! Willow remembered coming home from school...

"Mom? Dad?" _Willow called out as she closed the door behind her._ "I'm home!...Staci?"

_There was no answer._

Maybe they didn't hear me, _she thought._ Adults can get so wrapped up in the adult world so much that they just forget we have a non-adult world, too. But we do have a world.

_She went into her room and placed her schoolbooks onto her bed. She glanced over at her computer in the corner of her room and noticed that it was on. She frowned in thought. She was certain she had turned it off before she went to school. Puzzling over why it was on, she turned her computer off...again._

"Mom?" _she called. She turned her head to look out her doorway._

_A shadow passed over the corridor floor._

 _Frowning, Willow took a step toward her doorway...and then another, but something was wrong. She could feel it and it made her wish Buffy and Xander were with her._ Especially Xander...but, oh, wait! _She let out a sigh._ Xander wanted to be with Buffy, or Cordelia! He can't fool me! I've seen the way they act together! I-- _She forced her thoughts to stop thinking about Xander, and stepped out into the hall._

"Staci? Dad?" _She frowned again._ "Mom? Anybody home?"

_She made her way to the kitchen and that's where she found her parents and her Mom's friend. They were lying on the kitchen floor. She ran to them and knelt beside her Mom. Willow was relieved to see that she was breathing, but why were her parents and Staci lying on the floor? She got up and hurried to the kitchen counter where the phone was. She picked up the phone and suddenly froze in fear. Somehow, she could feel the eyes of a stranger watching her and she knew that someone was there. Someone who shouldn't be. Slowly, she turned her head and there she saw a man standing in the doorway of her kitchen._

"Uhm...hello?" _Willow said meekly._

_The stranger rose his arm and that's when Willow saw the gun. The man fully intended to shoot her and there was nothing she could do about it. All she wanted to do was to know why...and kiss Xander. But mostly, she just wanted to know why._

"I haven't done anything to anyone..." Willow replied softly as she sat in her chair. "I'm just a girl. Well, I...I call Principal Snyder Mr. Nazi...but...well...he _is_ mean."

"Do you always talk to yourself, Willow?"

She sat up straight and would have bolted if she had been able to. She tried to look around, but the light made it impossible to see anything clearly. It was either too bright, or there were spots in her eyes.

"Uh..." Willow began hesitantly, "only when I'm scared, cuz...talking seems to help."

"Would it help then if we talked together?...You and I?"

Willow thought she saw a shadow somewhere beyond the light, but she wasn't too certain. "I-I don't know who you are." She swallowed nervously, realizing suddenly how dry her throat was. "I don't know where I am...Some...somebody shot me."

"You were tranquilized."

She frowned. "Oh." She paused. "My Mom and Dad?...Staci? Where are--?"

"They are fine, Willow. They, too, were tranquilized." There was a pause. "We left them where they lay."

"Oh..."

There was another pause, one more ominous. "We wanted only you."

Willow's eyes widened fearfully. "M-me?"

"Yes, Willow. You." There was a longer pause.

Willow tried to strain her hearing but she couldn't tell if the man was moving or not. She couldn't hear him breathing or anything else that might tell her where the man was beyond the light. All she could hear was her own beating heart and her own breathing.

"Aren't you grateful, Willow?" the voice suddenly asked.

Willow winced. "Wh-what?"

"Grateful to us that we chose you instead of your parents or your Mom's friend? After all, you are so much younger than they are and perhaps stronger in many ways. If we had taken them, they very well could be dead right now. So you see...you were the logical choice. The right choice. You saved them."

Willow's mouth felt so dry. She thought of her parents and Staci, who was like an aunt to her. "They...they would have...died?" she asked hoarsely. Her eyes were forming tears.

"Yes. They would have. But you saved them, Willow."

"Who are you? What do you want?"

There was a long silence. When the voice returned, he did not answer the question. "Willow...let's participate in a social function, shall we? For example, let's just say that you came here looking for a job. You have filled out your application and I have reviewed it only to discover that I have considered you worthy of hiring. So you are now here today for a simple interview." A brief pause. "Do you understand, Willow?"

Willow hesitated. "I...I really don't like this so-social function."

The question was repeated, sternly. "Do you understand?"

She took a deep breath. "You're going to ask me questions...you want me to answer them."

"Very good, Willow."

She shook her head, tears freely falling down her cheeks. "Please...yo-you have to believe me! I-I don't know anything! I don't even know who you are!" She cried. "Please...let me go home."

"Willow..." the voice sounded so concerned. "There is nothing to fear here. But I do believe I can give you something that will help you overcome your fear."

The impact of his words struck her like a heavy blow. Her eyes widened in fear. "No...no, please! You can't--"

"Willow, it will ease your fears. Otherwise...I will be forced to play out a different scenario. A different social function. One in which one of my colleagues has suggested to me." He paused. "He suggested to me that I break every one of your fingers one by one, but I hardly think that's necessary. Do you?"

Willow shook her head. "No! No...please...I like my fingers."

"Good. So do I."

Then there was silence.

Willow thought to herself that now would be a good time for Buffy to show up and break this guys fingers, but that didn't happen. Fearful for what could happen to her, she strained to hear where the speaker was. She still couldn't see him, but now she wondered if he was even alone. He had mentioned there was a colleague...was there more than one colleague? Never in her life had she felt so scared and alone than she did at that moment.

Suddenly, she cried out as something sharp stuck into her right arm. She turned her head and saw someone at her side, and he was injecting something into her blood.

She couldn't even struggle.

Just as quickly as it had happened, it was suddenly over. The man disappeared into the light. It had happened so face that she realized she hadn't even caught a glimpse of the man's face.

"Oh, my-my God..." She stared down at her arm. "What...what was that?" she asked fearfully. _And why does he keep saying my name every time he speaks?!_

"It is called...scopolamine," the Speaker answered. "Do you know what scopolamine is, Willow?"

She tried to control her breathing, but something was wrong. She was beginning to feel very strange. She shook her head. "No...except it's bad...very bad..."

"It is a truth serum."

Willow's vision became blurry. "I don't like you...and that's the truth..."

"The truth serum relaxes your body and your mind. It helps you to be truthful during the Interview. It helps to reveal all of your secrets. Your every desire. Your darkest fears. And you will tell me everything...won't you, Willow?"

There was a long silence. Finally, she pouted. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, Willow. You have to. Then...after the Interview, we will let you sleep. You must be tired."

She closed her eyes. She didn't seem to notice when a chair was placed in front of her and a man sat down into it. His name was Abhar Jhamel, the Speaker, and he was a terrorist. He gently used his thumb and finger to open Willow's right eye and he was pleased to see her pupils dilated.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Willow...Rosenberg..." she responded.

"Where do you live?"

She told him the address.

"Who is your best friend?"

"Buffy Summers...and...and Xander Harris..." She smiled. "Alexander Harris...Xander Harris...Xander, Xander, Xander..."

Jhamel regarded her. "Do you like Xander, Willow?"

She nodded dreamily. "Yeah...a lot...only...it's not exactly _like_ 'cuz it's more like love..."

"You _love_ Xander?"

"Yeah...a lot...but..." She frowned. "Xander likes Cordelia...That isn't fair because I like Xander a lot more than he thinks he likes Cordelia...And what has she got that I haven't got anyway?...I love Xander...I always have...always will..."

"Willow...if you had to live in this world without Xander, could you?"

Tears formed in her eyes. "Live?...without Xander?..." She shook her head. "No...I'd...I'd rather die than live without him...Please don't take my Xander..." She began to cry.

"This is very interesting, Willow. But tell me...who is Buffy Summers?"

Willow smiled. "Buffy Summers is my friend."

Jhamel waited. "Yes. What else is Buffy? What does Buffy Summers do?"

"Oh...oooh!" Willow tried to look at him. "I know this one!! Buffy Summers is...Buffy, the Vampire Slayer!"

Jhamel regarded her thoughtfully. For a moment, he remained silent. Finally, he said, "Willow...this next question is very _very_ important. It is the main reason you are here. Do you understand?"

She frowned. "I think so..."

"Tell me, Willow...where is the Hellmouth?"

She paused in thought. "Ooh, I know this one, too!...In Sunnydale!"

Jhamel took a deep breath. "Where in Sunnydale, Willow? Where?"

"Oh, I...I don't know where...exactly..." She sounded like she was drifting off.

Jhamel closed his eyes, cursing himself for his failure. It was obvious that the girl didn't know. He was prepared to end her life just then.

But then Willow said, "I...I never went down there...but they did...They know where it is..."

Jhamel leaned forward. "Who knows, Willow?"

"Buffy, Xander...and Angel...They've been there when...when Buffy fought the Master..."

Jhamel smiled. "Thank you, Willow. I will let you sleep now."

He left her there and went back beyond the light. He went through a door and entered into another room where equipment was set up in front of a large two-way mirror. Even if Willow could have seen the mirror beyond the light, she would only see her reflection. But the terrorists in the room were able to see her...and they were able to videotape the Interview.

One of the terrorists approached Jhamel. His name was Rueben Julius and he was the Speaker's right-hand man. They called him the Knife because he enjoyed using it on helpless victims.

"The recording is completed," Julius told Jhamel. "Now what of the girl? Do we finish her and drop her somewhere?"

"She still might be useful, Rueben. Remember, she is the Slayers friend. We will need her as a hostage." He paused. "However...I think it best if we send a few men out to find this Xander. He was at the Hellmouth. He can lead us to it." Then he stood up tall and thrust his chest out with pride. "And when we find the Hellmouth, America will suffer greatly!"

As the terrorists beamed at each other with their arrogant pride, a presence stood beside the bound girl in her chair. The presence laid a hand of comfort upon Willow's brow and said, "You are not alone, child. A Guardian Angel has been sent to watch over you, and I am that Angel." Jeremiah stayed beside Willow and he waited for the events of terror to unfold.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	2. Sunflower Seeds

It was dark, and Special Agent Fox Mulder couldn't think of anything better to do then to lean against his rental car and toss sunflower seeds one by one into his mouth. His rental was parked in the parking lot of a Motel 6 and he was content to stay where he was with his thoughts and his seeds.

What he was really doing was waiting.

Waiting was something he had learned to excel in. With his reputation as the FBI's most spookiest agent, waiting was in his nature. Yet being an agent for the FBI did have a lot of major setbacks. The higher officials of the government who used ordinary people like puppets to do their evil deeds caused most of those setbacks.

Mulder was on vacation anyway, so he didn't really care about what his superiors thought. He was going to spend his vacation the way he wanted to and he couldn't think of any place better to spend it than at the most mystical spot on earth...Sunnydale, California.

As he popped another seed into his mouth, he saw a car pulling into the empty parking space next to his rental. He smiled. His vacation was just about to officially begin.

A woman with red hair turned off the car and climbed out of it only to regard him from over the rooftop of the vehicle. "Mulder, this better be good. Unlike some people, I have work to do."

"C'mon, Scully. Take a break." Mulder smiled at her as he took in a breath of fresh air. "This is a beautiful night. The air is fresh here in Sunnydale, don't you think? It's like heaven." He rose his eyebrows. "Except it's a bit closer to hell than heaven if my sources are right."

Scully looked at him closely. "All right, Mulder. Now I know something's wrong. You used the words _beautiful_ and _heaven_ in a sentence. That is out of character for you." She walked around the car to approach him. "By the way, AD Skinner sends his greeting. He has high hopes you'll work out some of your issues while on vacation before you return to work."

Mulder frowned. "Issues? I don't have any issues, Scully."

Scully frowned at him.

"What? I haven't broken any rules or government taboos lately, have I?"

She let out a sigh. "Mulder, why did you drag me out here?"

"I didn't drag you out here, Scully. I just saw you get out of your car of your own free will." He chuckled. "Maybe you wanted to be here, Scully. Maybe you _want_ to be dragged. You want me to get rough with you, little lady? Maybe deep down inside of you, there's a cowgirl who wants to get out into the world and experience life on the range."

Scully rose her eyebrows and looked at him as if he were an alien himself. "A _cowgirl_ , Mulder?" She scowled. "Mulder...have you been drinking?"

He chuckled again. "All right! All right. Maybe not a cowgirl." He grinned and pointed up at the Motel 6 sign at the end of the parking lot. "Look, Scully. They left the light on for us." He looked beneath the sign and noticed three individuals that seemed to be watching them from the shadows.

Scully didn't notice them. "Mulder, what exactly are you doing in Sunnydale on your vacation?" She regarded him. "Please tell me this is not about aliens, or alien abductees, or circus freaks, because to be honest, I've had it up to here with little green men and sideshow mutants! They're either just too elusive or too hideous and we can't even catch a glimpse of the aliens anyway."

Mulder shook his head. "No, Scully. It's not about aliens or freaks."

"Then what?"

"Have you ever heard about the Hellmouth, Scully?"

Scully looked at him incredulous. "The what mouth?"

He grinned at her. "Hellmouth."

Scully shook her head in amazement. Finally, she gave in and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going to regret this, Mulder, but I'll bite. What is the Hellmouth?"

"Look at that! You just made a pun!"

"Mulder!" she scolded impatiently.

"A few years ago, the Lone Gunmen wrote an article about a dimensional doorway that literally leads straight into hell itself. Every form of demon imaginable-and unimaginable-lives on the other side of that doorway, just waiting for a chance to enter into our world to wreak unholy havoc upon the earth."

" _Unholy havoc_?" Scully repeated.

"That's right. And with a Hellmouth, there are those who want to do evil to their fellow man. Not just because they were cut off in traffic, or they purchased a bad cup of coffee at their local java shop, but because they are in fact evil in and of themselves. They thrive on the pain of others and so they seek the Hellmouth in the hopes of finding a way to open it, thereby releasing the demons from the other side."

"Mulder...I'm surprised at you."

Mulder looked at her curiously. "Why?"

"Because that sounds a little too much like a form of religious indoctrination."

"Scully, you've read the Bible. You know it's been said that Revelations reveals the end of the world. Demons will walk on this earth in the last days. They will be riding horses, _'having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone...And the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions...And out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these were the third of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.'_ " He leaned toward her and smiled, looking her in the eye. " _'Oh, he that has ears, let him hear.'_ "

She rolled her eyes. "Mulder, some of what is written in the Bible is meant as parables."

"That is true, Scully. But there are many who would say to you that a great percentage of what has been written has already come to pass."

Scully regarded him. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

He nodded as he looked back toward the sign. The three individuals were still there.

"I've never heard you talk about the Bible like this before." She paused in thought. Then, she frowned. "Wait a minute! You think there's a Hellmouth in Sunnydale?!" She shook her head. "Mulder, I can't believe this! You dragged me out here because of a-a wild hunch that there's a doorway to hell in this town?"

"There you go again, fantasizing about being dragged," Mulder said with a chuckle. He reached into the open window of his rental and pulled out a large bag.

Scully looked at the bag. Then she looked at him suspiciously. "Mulder...what's in the bag?"

"Sunflower seeds." He looked toward the Motel 6 sign.

Scully looked, too.

The three individuals were moving toward them.

"What's going on, Mulder?" Scully asked, suddenly concerned.

"Do you notice anything peculiar about those three dudes making their way toward us, Scully?" Mulder asked her.

Scully looked at them. She frowned. She couldn't be certain, but something looked very wrong with their faces. "What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing. Maybe they just want a snack." Mulder opened the bag of sunflower seeds. "Maybe they think we're something awful tasty. If our names were Jim, I wonder if they would think of us as Slim Jim's."

Scully shot him a look. "What are you talking about?"

As the men drew closer, Scully became convinced that they had either walked away from a terrible accident, or...they were truly the walking dead. "Mulder...are those fangs?" She stared, reaching for her gun.

Mulder shook his head. "That isn't going to stop them, Scully."

"And sunflower seeds will?" she asked incredulous.

As the three men approached, Mulder tossed the seeds up into the air. The men stopped as the seeds rained down upon them. For a moment, they looked confused and troubled. It was clear to Mulder, however, that his hunch had been right. They were vampires.

 _Would Scully see that,_ he wondered, _or rationalize it away?_

Scully stared at him. "That's going to stop them, Mulder?! Are you crazy?!"

Mulder nodded and grinned, but he kept his eyes on the three vampires. They were looking down at the ground at the spilled sunflower seeds. One of them bent down and picked up a seed. He stood up, looked at it, and then he showed it to the others. Then they all turned to look at Mulder and they growled. His grin faded.

Mulder and Scully took a step back.

"What were you thinking?" Scully asked him, her gun leveled at the three vampires. The vampires were moving toward them again.

Mulder shook his head. "I don't get it! It worked on the pizza delivery vamp!"

"Vamp?!" Scully shook her head in dismay. "Not vampires again, Mulder! I mean, c'mon! The truth may be out there...but it doesn't have anything to do with vampires!"

Suddenly, the three vampires abruptly stopped their advancing toward the special agents.

Mulder and Scully stopped backing up. Mulder saw someone standing beneath the Motel 6 sign. Whoever the newcomer was, he was watching them all intently. The vampires even seemed to resent his presence as they glared angrily at the newcomer. The man began to walk toward them and as he did, the vampires backed off until finally, they disappeared into the night.

Scully leveled her gun at the newcomer and demanded, _"Stop right there! Federal agents!"_

The man stopped. He looked down and noticed that he was standing in a pile of sunflower seeds. He looked at Mulder with a puzzled look on his face. "What's with the sunflower seeds?"

Mulder moved around Scully and placed a hand on her arm, causing her to lower her weapon. "It's a known fact that vampires are obsessive compulsive. They can't stand disorder, so when you throw something like seeds at them, they have to stop and pick them all up."

The stranger regarded him as if he had lost his mind. "I think you'd better research your vampire lore some more. You seemed to miss out on the translation somewhere."

"Who are you?"

"A friend."

"A friend?" Scully asked. "Why do you think we need a friend? And who were those men? What was wrong with them?"

The friend glanced at Mulder. Then he looked at Scully. "Your partner seems to know what they are."

"Listen to me. I'm a doctor. They looked ill. I might be able to help them." She paused. "Someone has to get them to the hospital!"

"You can't help them. No one can."

"Why not?"

Mulder looked at her. "Scully, those men were already dead."

She let out a sigh of frustration. "Mulder, they looked alive and well to me." She frowned. "Well...all right, maybe not well, but..." She trailed off.

Mulder turned to the stranger. "You know what really goes on here in Sunnydale, don't you?"

"What do you think is going on here?" the man asked.

"Why did they run from you? Are you one of them?"

The man regarded him for a moment. "Who are you?"

Mulder glanced at Scully. Then he pulled out his FBI badge. "I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder and this is Special Agent Dana Scully." He put his badge away. "Now...who are you? Are you one of them?"

"My name is Angel." He paused as he looked at Mulder and Scully. "What is it exactly that makes you special?"

Scully was about to respond when Mulder repeated his question. "Are you one of them, Angel? Is there something special about you?"

Angel regarded him. "I don't know what brought you to Sunnydale...Just be careful." With that, he turned and began to walk away. He started across the street.

Mulder called out to him. "Hey! Wait!"

He was about to try to cross the street, but a car drove by at that moment, and he was forced to step back onto the curb. Scully was by his side. When the car had drove past them, they looked across the street.

Scully frowned. "Mulder...where is he?"

They looked around, but Angel was nowhere in sight.

Mulder turned his head and discovered that Scully was watching him. He smiled at her. "Welcome to Sunnydale, Scully."

_______ _______ _______

Angel was deeply troubled.

Something was about to happen, but he couldn't place what it was. He had heard rumors about strange men moving into town, but there was nothing to tell him who they were and what they wanted. All he could hope for was to find a lead that would take him directly to them. He also had a strong suspicion that Spike and Dru were up to something themselves, and yet some wild hunch convinced him that they were not the greatest threat to Sunnydale.

At least not yet.

No...There was something else. Some sinister danger was lurking nearby, and it was stalking the innocent. This time, however, the stalker of the innocent was not the undead.

The presence of the FBI agents only seemed to confirm this for him.

He had to find Buffy and tell her to be on the lookout for a new threat, before someone got hurt. However, as he searched for Buffy, he didn't find her anywhere at all of her usual hangouts. She wasn't at the Bronze, she wasn't at home, nor was she patrolling out in the cemetery. Of course, he realized that he could have simply missed her. He checked the school library and once again, came up empty. She was not at the library training with her Watcher.

Just before sunrise, he decided to try searching for Buffy at one more place.

He stopped by Willow's house. As he stood on the patio at the door that led to Willow's room, he knew something was wrong. He sensed it. Looking up, he noticed the sun was on the horizon. Not wasting any more time, he tried the door and discovered to his surprise that it was unlocked.

Having been invited once into her home by Willow, Angel decided to press on and he slowly opened the door the rest of the way.

"Willow...?" he inquired softly.

There was no answer.

His eyes immediately took in Willow's room. The bed was empty. It hadn't been slept in. Beyond the room, Angel heard voices. He stepped fully into the room and stood listening at the doorway of Willow's room.

"We'll find her, Staci," a man said with confidence. "The important thing is that at least Ira and Sheila are safe. Your friend is going to be fine." There was a pause. "And we will find Willow."

There was a pause. Then a woman's voice responded, "Michael...why would terrorists want to take Willow? She's just a...a young child!"

"She's a hostage now. But you're right. We need to get her back...but we also need to know what they want." There was a sigh of frustration. "Al has an idea about that, and considering what we know about Sunnydale...it's not good. There may not be any time."

Angel had heard enough for the moment. If he didn't leave soon, he would not be able to leave at all. The sun had already begun to rise.

_______ _______ _______

The two terrorists rode in a stolen car along the streets of Sunnydale. It was very early, and soon the sun would be rising. The car drove slowly through the neighborhood streets until it came to a house that was of interest to them. The vehicle stopped, and one of the terrorists climbed out with a sinister purpose. He walked up to the front porch, placed something on the doormat, and then returned to the car. The terrorists then used the Summers driveway to turn themselves around. They drove away, having completed their mission.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	3. The Video Tape

The sun was now shining down upon Sunnydale, just as it had for many centuries before...even before it became Sunnydale. The birds were chirping, the pleasant breeze was making the flowers sway, and life was stirring awake to face another day.

Michael Lenox poured coffee into two cups as he stood at the kitchen counter. His wife, Staci, stood before the window in the living room. She stared out but she did not see anything. She was uneasy and scared for Willow. Ira and Sheila Rosenberg were in a safe place, and she was grateful for that. She and Sheila had been friends since high school. Willow had become special to Staci, like a daughter she never had...and yet she was missing. Willow was alone out there somewhere, terrified and facing dangers only she knew of.

Lenox came into the room and handed her a cup of coffee.

Staci took it from him automatically, but her mind was not on coffee. She fixed her questioning eyes on her husband. "Has Bill found anything?" she asked anxiously.

Lenox looked at her as he took a sip. "I thought you were big on faith, Staci." He was concerned for his wife. He didn't like the scared look in her eyes.

"Faith is always good, my husband...but I am still only human." She hesitated. "I believe that there is a purpose for what is happening here...I just can't explain what that is." She shook her head. "It doesn't have to do with terrorists."

"But there are terrorists in Sunnydale," he said quietly. "This we already know. In spite of what you feel with your faith, the evidence we have shows us terrorists tapped into Willow's computer and monitored everything on it. Everything she had in her system, they were able to break into without letting her know they were there." He shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what else there could be out there that is driving toward some specific purpose. Other than terrorists."

"You know there are other things involved, Michael." She looked into his eyes, searching. "All things work together for the good. I believe that. I've seen evil at work and yet somehow, good does prevail. Sometimes it's not so noticeable at first, but...Well, you've seen it, too. And now that it is happening here...in this town, you want to believe it's only coincidence?"

Lenox shook his head. "Honey...you're right. We know what's been going on in this town, and we have known it for a few years how different this place is. Look, Willow and her friends probably know more than we do about it because they've been here. They live here. Maybe that's the evil we should fear. Something Willow knows...about the Hellmouth, or any other horror, could be what the terrorists are after."

"Well, that's not a good thing," said a voice from behind them. "But apparently, the terrorists have been watching Sunnydale for as long as we have."

Husband and wife turned as one and they found Albert Barrington standing in the doorway of the living room. "Has Crazy Man found something to support that?" Lenox wanted to know.

Barrington nodded solemnly. "He's found a link with other networks throughout Sunnydale. A network of information, Knox. Everything from school records to police records. Bank accounts, hospital records, medical histories, and morgue reports...you name it, it's there. Using that network of info, I'd say the terrorists might even know more about this town than we do." He shook his head in amazement. "I don't know how he does it but Crazy Man is making Willow's computer sing like a bird."

Staci shook her head, clearly bothered by something. "I don't understand, Al. That brings us right back to Willow. What was so different about her that made them take her?"

Lenox glanced at his wife. "I can think of one thing that makes her unique." He drank some of his coffee. "Willow is friends with the Slayer."

"Buffy Summers?" Staci inquired. She frowned. "I still can't believe that Buffy is the Slayer, Michael. When I first saw her, well...she's just a child. Like Willow."

Lenox finished his coffee and set the cup down onto the coffee stand. "Well...this child is a Slayer. We need to find Buffy and Alexander." He looked at Staci. "Sooner or later, they're going to come looking for Willow. They'll know something is wrong when she doesn't show up for class."

"School's already begun," Staci told him.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

They looked at each other.

Resolved, Lenox picked up the phone. He knew it would not be the terrorists calling. They were not after a ransom. They had already taken what they wanted and now they were up to something else. So it had to be...

 _"Hi,"_ greeted a young girls voice. _"It's Buffy. Is Willow there?"_

Lenox cleared his throat. "Buffy...No, Willow isn't here."

There was a pause. _"Mr. Rosenberg...?"_

"No...IMy name is Michael Lenox."

_"Oh! I remember you. Your wife went to school with Willow's Mom. Willow thinks you guys are cool."_

He paused in thought as he glanced at Staci. "She does?"

 _"Yes! She says you do laundry for the government. Spy stuff! Like James Bond, only without the British accent and the shaken, not stirred drink."_ She paused. _"Or is that stirred, not shaken?"_

Lenox looked from Staci to Barrington. He wanted to know how on earth did Willow know he worked for the government. To Buffy, he said, "Listen, Buffy. My wife and I need to see you and Alex. We have to talk."

 _"We do?"_ Buffy hesitated. _"Is this spy stuff?"_

"Yeah. You could say that."

_"Okay...but don't call Xander Alex. He doesn't like that."_

Lenox shrugged. "Consider it done."

There was a pause. _"Mr. Lenox...is there something wrong?"_

He chose not to answer her question. "Where can we meet you?"

_"We'll be at the library. Besides...someone left a video on my doorstep this morning. We'll watch it until you arrive."_

"That's fine. We're on our way."

He hung up.

Then he realized what Buffy had just said. "Oh, shit..."

Staci looked at him with concern. "Michael, what is it?"

"Someone left a video on Buffy's doorstep."

Lenox and Staci headed out the door and for the car. Barrington went to see if William "Crazy Man" Fronk needed any help.

_______ _______ _______

"This is not happening!!" Cordelia Chase screamed.

Xander Harris nearly jumped from his seat at the table as he had been trying to study from a history text bigger than a boom-boom box. "Cordy!" he hissed. "Oh, Mighty Queen of the Paint-By-Nails Club! This is a library!" He put a finger before his lips. "Shush!"

Cordelia pouted and showed him her nails. "But...I just broke a nail!"

Buffy Summers, who had been rummaging through her bag at the table, rolled her eyes. "Is that all?"

Cordelia shot her a venomous look.

"Oh...I mean..." Buffy hesitated. Then, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled innocently. "Oh, darn. I hate when that happens."

"Easy for you to say, Buffy!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Your nails aren't as important as mine. After all, you chip and break your nails every time you throw a stake. But I have a life! Men adore me." She looked at her broken nail with dismay. "Now I have been marred for life!"

Buffy looked at Xander and rose her eyebrows as if to say, "Get a life, girlfriend."

Xander looked at Buffy and shook his head. " _'It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine.'_ "

Buffy grinned and rummaged some more through her bag.

Cordelia nodded angrily at Xander. "Oh, sure! Make fun of me! You don't need nails!"

"Only if I'm building a fort, which I'm not..." He rolled his eyes. "Look, why cry over one broken nail? Use a different finger to reach those hard to reach bouger-baddies. Or wait until your broken nail grows a-new, then go to town on yourself."

She glared daggers at him. "Oh...You!!...You!!!"

"Me! Me! Me!" He threw his hands up into the air. "The truth comes out. It's always about you, Cordy, isn't it?" Before Cordelia could make a reply, Xander turned to Buffy curiously. "What are you digging in there so furiously for, Buffy? Cordy-Repellant Spray?"

Cordelia continued to glare at him.

Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm just looking for a tape. I figured we'd watch it while we waited for the Lenox' to arrive."

"Ooh...goody!" Xander rubbed his hands together. "A porno flick. What have you brought for us, Buffy? 'Cordy Does Sunnydale'?" He slapped his forehead. "I'm sorry. What am I saying? That's not a porno! That's a horror flick!"

"If you don't stop that," Cordelia warned, shaking her finger at him, "you're going to regret it!"

Buffy found the tape and pulled it out of her bag. "I honestly don't know what's on this tape, Xander. I found it on my doorstep this morning."

Xander frowned. "You did?"

Buffy nodded.

Xander slowly rose to his feet and moved toward Buffy. All the while, his eyes were glued to the videotape in Buffy's hand. He held out his hand. Usually, Buffy would ignore him, but there was such intensity about the way he held his hand out and looked at her that she found herself handing the tape over to him. She was suddenly concerned. She didn't like the look on Xander's face.

Cordelia sensed the sudden demeanor from Xander and she was just as concerned.

"Xander..." Buffy began softly, "you're wigging me out."

Xander held up the videotape in his hand. His eyes found Buffy's and he held her gaze. "I've known Willow for all of my life, Buffy. Jesus...I should have seen this coming."

"Xander...what is it? Seen what coming?"

"Willow didn't show up here at the library for study after school yesterday. _'Okay,'_ we say. _'She's visiting with family and friends.'_ But we didn't call her to find out for sure." He swallowed. "I didn't call. Buffy...I always call...but not this time." He took a deep breath. "When the night drags on and we find ourselves at the Bronze...still no sign of Willow. And still...I don't call her. No, no. Because I'm too busy dancing on the dance floor with Cordy and having way too much fun."

Buffy looked at him with growing concern. "Xander..."

"Then she doesn't show up for school this morning and you call her home. Not me. You. And this Lenox guy, some friend of Willow's family, answers the phone. _'Willow is not home,'_ he says to you. _'We need to talk.'_ This coming from a guy who Willow has told us works for the United States Government, and if Willow told us that, then you know it's true!" He held up the tape. "Then this morning, you found this tape on your doorstep! Which means that someone must have put it there during the night or early morning hours. The question begs to be asked, Buffy... _Why?!_ "

Buffy had found that she had been holding her breath. "Oh, Xander...you don't think that...?" She couldn't finish.

Xander was furious.

Buffy and Cordelia looked at him with concern. Neither one of them had ever seen him so furious.

"If what I think is on this tape...is really on this tape..." Xander took a deep breath before continuing, "then there isn't a vampire, demon, witch, bug-eyed bastard, bad breath, stinking, foul, soul cursing, bad-ass monster within a thousand miles around Sunnydale that will be safe from my wrath!" He looked at them with determination. "Because nobody... _Nobody_ messes with my Willow!"

Any other time, Buffy might have laughed...but this was no laughing matter and Xander was dead serious. All she could think about was that if something had happened to Willow, then it was her fault. She should have been there for her.

Rupert Giles, the librarian and otherwise known as the Watcher, and Jenny Calendar, techno pagan computer teacher, had walked in at the tail end of Xander's speech. They both had the impression that something was terribly wrong.

"Buffy..." Giles began calmly as he looked from Xander to Cordelia and finally to Buffy, "what is it? Why do you all look as-as if the world has stopped turning?"

Buffy just looked at him.

Xander moved past Giles without a word and headed for the back where Giles had his office and another room for conferences. It wasn't a very large room, but it did have a TV and VCR player, and that was what he was after. Buffy and Cordelia followed right after him, and Giles gave a stunned look at Jenny. She squeezed his arm and nodded her head toward the room, suggesting silently that they should tag along. The two went in after them.

Xander turned the power on the TV and the VCR player, and then he popped in the tape.

He picked up the remote and stared at it. Finally, with grim resolve, he pressed play. Behind them, Lenox and Staci entered, but no one turned to see them. They were all intent on the screen.

A man with a dark beard was glaring back at them from the TV screen.

Xander scowled. "Who the hell is this guy?"

 _"Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,"_ the man began, _"I know who you are. You can call me the Speaker!"_

Buffy sat down, stunned. "He knows who I am!" She was incredulous.

_"I represent the Iranian Liberation Front. We are fighting against you paganistic American infidels of Satan! Your reign on this earth will end. Soon! And you will see that you yourself will be the instrument of your own destruction!"_

"My God..." Jenny looked at Buffy. "This man is a terrorist! Where did this tape come from?"

Buffy shrugged. "It was on my doorstep this morning." She scowled at the Speaker. "A terrorist can't be any worst than a vampire, can it?"

She was wrong.

The man on the screen said, _"We have Willow Rosenberg and she will very soon meet her death. Make no mistake! She will die! But how she dies will depend on either you, Buffy Summers...or this Angel...or you, Alexander Harris!"_

Now they couldn't take their eyes off the screen.

The scenery changed. They saw Willow tied to a chair. They saw the look of fear on her face. They watched as she struggled in vain to break free from her bonds.

 _"I haven't done anything to anyone..."_ Willow said softly. _"I'm just a girl. Well, I call Principal Snyder Mr. Nazi...but...well...he is mean."_

__

__

_"Do you always talk to yourself, Willow?"_

The look of fear and helplessness in Willow's eyes was like a knife blade stabbing into the hearts for everyone who was watching the tape. Xander's fists were closed so tight, his knuckles were white.

_"Uh...only when I'm scared, cuz...talking seems to help."_

Buffy moved her chair closer to Xander as tears welled up in her eyes. But they couldn't turn away from the screen. They watched the interview in complete silence. Xander was usually tough, and his face betrayed nothing except for the hardness in his eyes and the single tear that traced down his cheek. But that tear didn't fall until Willow revealed her secret.

It wasn't really a secret, but Xander had never heard it from Willow's lips.

Not like this.

_"Do you like Xander, Willow?"_

She nodded dreamily. Willow was under the influence of the truth serum. _"Yeah...a lot...only...it's not exactly 'like' 'cuz it's more like love..."_

__

"You love Xander?"

__

_"Yeah...a lot...but..."_ She frowned. _"Xander likes Cordelia...That isn't fair because I like Xander a lot more than he thinks he likes Cordelia...And what has she got that I haven't got anyway?...I love Xander...I always have...always will..."_

__

__

_"Willow...if you had to live in this world without Xander, could you?"_

Tears formed in her eyes. _"Live?...without Xander?..."_ She shook her head. _"No...I'd...I'd rather die than live without him...Please don't take my Xander..."_ She began to cry.

The rest was about the Hellmouth and Willow telling the Speaker that only Xander, Buffy, and Angel knew the exact location of the Hellmouth. Then the screen went blank...until the Speaker returned.

 _"Allow me to show you the kind of night your friend spent here with us,"_ the Speaker said.

A new scene appeared. Two terrorists were standing before a closed door. They were holding clubs and each of them was beside large crude barrels. They began to bang on the barrels with enough noise to raise the dead. The scene then switched to something new. Willow was laying on a cot, curled into a ball. It was clear that her wrists were bound together and the twine was looped and tied to the headboard of her cot. She was screaming.

_"Make it stop! Make it stop!"_

In that tiny room, the racket had to have been unnerving.

There were other scenes. Each scene, when one of the terrorists would enter the room, Willow would try to huddle into her corner as far as she could go. They never touched her, but she was clearly terrified by her captors.

In one scene, a terrorist brandished a knife in front of Willow's face.

 _"See this knife?"_ he snarled. _"This knife has the name of Xander on it! This knife will spill his blood...after he confesses he never had any feelings for you accept pity!"_ The terrorist turned and looked right into the camera. _"This Xander never truly cared for such a pitiful girl as yourself!"/_

When he left the room, Willow had fallen apart.

The Speaker returned. _"Come to me, Buffy Summers! Alexander Harris! Angel! Don't let her suffer alone! Don't let her die alone."_

The tape seemed to come to its conclusion.

That was good enough for Xander. He rewound the tape to a close up of the Speakers face, and he then paused the tape. Before anyone could stop him, he got up and put his fist through the Speakers face and through the television screen.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	4. Truce

With the sun high overhead, traveling around in broad daylight was very much a hazard to his health. His undead health, that is. It was also hazardous to others of his kind, but Angel was rarely ever concerned about his own kind. He was uniquely different from them because he was cursed with a soul, and he was forced to live every day with the memories of every living soul he had ever tormented. And every day he wished he could take it all back.

He wished he had never met Darla.

Unfortunately, wishing was not going to make any of it go away. It never did. All it really did was force him to think about his past even more. It just made the pain worst. The pain would never go away, but he knew he could at least make it somehow bearable. He had made a vow to help the innocent as long as he was able to do so. Whether it was saving them from demons of the night, or maybe even an ear to listen, he would be there for them. He would be there for the living.

And he wanted to be there for Willow.

He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt Willow. She was special.

She was the most, sweetest girl he had ever known. She was so caring and understanding of people, even if she didn't know them. She had given him a chance to be a friend and had let him in...Not just to her home, but to her heart as well. She trusted him. Angel had to find her at all cost.

Using the numerous underground tunnels and sewer systems beneath Sunnydale, he made his way to the old abandoned factory where he knew the enemy would be. He gained himself entrance, kept out of sight from the minions, and found his way up to the catwalks above the main warehouse of the factory. Below him, he found what he was looking for. But it wasn't exactly like he had expected.

Drusilla and Dalton were at the table. Dru was sitting at the head of the table with her head tilted and she had her hands over her cards. She was whispering to herself with her eyes half closed. Dalton was sitting still in his own chair, and he had been looking at books, but the meeting commencing around him made studying quite difficult.

"You are _out_ of your _bloody_ minds!!" Spike shouted dramatically as he stood with his arms outstretched above him as if beckoning unto the heavens for some bloody common sense.

Angel shook his head at the scene. Spike was always one to dramatize. The vampire whom had killed two slayers just loved to do that. He so much enjoyed to listen to his own voice come back at him from the echoes caused by the spacious room of the factory.

Angel again looked down at Drusilla. She had that familiar dazed look on her face of serenity...calm...peace. Angel knew better. As beautiful as Dru was, she was the most evil vampire Angel had ever met. But that was another fault of his. If she ever regained her full strength, Sunnydale was in a lot of trouble.

As far as Dalton was concerned, he was just a lackey. Another minion who had better do what he was told at the snap of a finger or become dust. Just like that.

There were three other vampires milling about, and Angel was certain they were there just for show. They looked tough and imposing, but that was the odd thing. No matter that the factory was crawling with vampires, the three human visitors standing in front of Spike did not even appear to be intimidated in the slightest bit.

"We cannot make a pact with you," Spike told the humans. He regarded them one by one. "It's really quite simple, even you blokes ought to get the hint. Vampires do not make a pact of any kind with a food resource. Isn't that right, pet?" He tilted back toward Dru.

Dru looked away from her cards and fixed a gaze upon Abhar Jhamel and smiled seductively. "Yes, luv...you are so right."

Angel had seen many whither under that look. Dru had a special ability not like any vampire. She could look into the eyes of her victim and make them do anything she wanted. This was the first time Angel had seen that look have absolutely no affect.

Jhamel returned the gaze. Then he leaned forward and said, "Your witchcraft will _not_ work on me, demon!"

Dru sat back and hissed.

Spike grabbed Jhamel by the throat and lifted him up off the floor. "Where the hell are your bloody manners? You don't become a guest in my house, and then insult the hostess! Apologize!"

Jhamel managed to hiss a command in his native tongue.

His two human companions sprang into action. They opened their coats and revealed explosives that were strapped to their torsos. Spike took one look. Then he set Jhamel down and laughed.

"Oh, bloody hell!! You blokes would come into my home and blow yourselves up?" He slapped Jhamel on the back. "I'll say this for you, chap. You've got balls. But we don't die so easily, as you well know. Your explosives may hurt us, but--"

"These bombs will incinerate your flesh and turn you to dust!" Jhamel shouted. "Can vampires survive that?"

Spike frowned at him. Then, he shrugged. "Well...I guess you have a point there." He regarded the terrorist warily. "So what the hell do you want?"

Jhamel paused for affect. "We want your people to leave us be! Let us move about as we will throughout Sunnydale. Let us have access to all of your tunnels. Do not hinder us from our task in any way. If you allow us this, we will do something for you."

Spike looked at him with interest. "And what will you do for us?"

"We will give you the Slayer!"

Spike took in a breath. Behind him, Dru smiled and purred. "Oh, luv...I want the Slayer!"

Dalton himself was now paying rapt attention to the meeting.

Spike raised a hand up. "Wait a moment, my precious one. We have tried to get the Slayer for you many times and we know from experience that this is no easy task." He fixed his gaze upon Jhamel. "How do you propose to get us the Slayer?"

Jhamel shrugged. "It is easy. We possess something she wants."

"And that would be?"

"We have Willow Rosenberg."

Spike stared at him.

Dalton dropped his glasses as he tried to wipe off a smudge print.

Dru was so stunned by this that she got out of her seat in spite of her weak condition. She also stared at Jhamel, but a smile began to touch her face. The three vampires who were there for show looked at each other. They didn't voice their thoughts, but they did wonder to themselves why no one else had thought of that.

Spike took a step closer to Jhamel. "You have Willow? How the hell did you bloody pull that one off?!"

"I went into her home," Jhamel explained, "and simply shot her parents, and another woman who was there. Then I shot Willow and simply took her away."

"You shot them?" Spike looked disappointed. "You killed them?! Willow isn't any good to us if she's dead!"

Jhamel scowled. "Do not take me for a fool, demon! I have not killed any of them. I have simply tranquilized them." He paused for affect. "Dead people cannot suffer on this earth."

On the catwalk, Angel softly commented, "Speak for yourself."

Spike tilted his head back and laughed. "This is incredible!" He turned and looked at Dru and Dalton. "Isn't it, baby? I mean can you bloody believe this?"

Dalton wondered if that was a trick question so he didn't know whether to nod or shake his head. Finally, he just shrugged.

"Aren't you supposed to be looking at a book...for a bloody ritual?" Spike asked him.

"Uh...Yes, but--" Dalton began.

"Oh, don't be so hard on him, dear." Dru smiled. "He's excited about the company we are having."

Spike laughed again. He shook his head in amazement. "I must say, I had found it difficult to believe that there were actually humans out there who were capable of far more acts of evil than we are. I guess I don't find that hard to believe any more." He turned to look at Jhamel. "Though, I would like a _little_ respect, if you please! I do have this thing about being called a demon. Try _Spike_."

Jhamel just looked at him.

Dru sidled up close to Spike and rubbed his shoulders. "Luv, I'm hungry. I...want...a...snack..." She purred in his ear and peered at Jhamel.

Spike glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Then he looked at Jhamel. "Tell you what, Mr. Speaker. Bring us Willow Rosenberg...and I mean right now, and we'll give you access to the sewer systems. Give us the Slayer, you can have all of the tunnels."

Jhamel scowled at him. "We must have Willow to lure the Slayer."

"Did you not just hear my lady say she was hungry?"

"Your appetites mean nothing to me, demon!"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Again with the bloody name calling!"

Jhamel pointed at him. "I am giving you an opportunity to become allies with us instead of enemies! You give me nothing!"

"You're a bleeding terrorist, for pity's sake!" Spike shouted back. "You bloody bitch and moan about the wrong done to your own people and so you plant bombs and cry out against America! I don't have to give you anything!" He paused as he regarded Jhamel. Then he took a deep breath and let it out. "You're a dangerous bastard, Speaker. I've no doubt of that. I have seen your kind before. You could be trouble if we don't come to some kind of agreement. So...tell me something then. Tell me what you are doing here in Sunnydale, and perhaps we can work this out to where we both get what we want."

Jhamel took a step toward him. "I will tell you. But you must first agree to give me and my men complete access to all of the tunnels. All of them!"

"You will tell me...and I will grant you that access. I'll even see to it that if anyone gives you trouble we'll just give it right back. In other words, we'll watch your back."

Jhamel appeared to be thinking about that. Finally, he nodded. "I have a device...a very special device...that has the power to open the Hellmouth, thereby releasing the demons from beyond."

If Spike had been surprised about Willow's kidnapping, this secret revealed to him literally left him speechless. Finally, his mouth dropped open. "What?!" He stammered. "Are you bloody serious?!"

"Very serious, I assure you."

Spike shook his head. "No human weapon or device is capable of opening the Hellmouth."

"You underestimate the power of nuclear fusion."

Spike couldn't believe what he was hearing. He turned his head to look at Dru and Dalton. "Do you bloody believe this? He wants to bloody open the Hellmouth with a bloody nuclear bomb!"

Dalton looked thoughtful.

Spike scowled. "Don't tell me you think that could work?!"

"Well, I would need to look up some things, but--"

"You already have a bloody ritual to study up on," Spike shot back. Then he turned, looked at Jhamel, and shook his head. "And _you_ are bloody mad! You want to open the Hellmouth by destroying Sunnydale? This just happens to be my home! My shopping center encompasses the whole bleeding town! I want to open the portal, but certainly not in that way. Besides, nuclear fusion is--"

"Nuclear fusion is the power of God!" Jhamel exclaimed. "Who do you think created such power?"

"Oh, please! Don't bring Him into this!"

"I will! Because it is Allah that brings us here to do his bidding and to destroy the enemies of his people!"

"I thought you were the bloody enemies of His people."

Jhamel ignored him. "With the device, I can open the portal!"

Spike frowned. "Even if you survive the blast, and even if the portal opens...you will be dead! The demons that come out of there won't like for you to call them names. They will come after you and every living being on this planet! They'll eventually go around the world until they get to your people, too."

"We are prepared to die." Jhamel folded his arms. "No more talk. Decide now. Cooperate or become enemies."

Dru pouted. "I'm still hungry, luv."

Spike sighed. He looked at the Speaker. "You will bring us both Willow and the Slayer?"

Jhamel nodded. "When we have the Slayer, we will bring them both. Besides, we believe that Xander himself will come to us. If he does, we shall take him and he will lead us to the Hellmouth."

Spike blinked. "Because...?"

"He knows where it is."

Dalton let out a nervous chuckle. "Of course, he knows where it is. The Hellmouth--"

"--has _not_ been seen by many. But we do know that Xander was there." Spike shot Dalton a warning look. He wanted to laugh, but he didn't. So the Speaker and his minions didn't have a clue as to where the Hellmouth was. Every vampire in Sunnydale knew where it was, but why spoil all the fun. "Very well, then. We shall be your allies."

Dru pouted some more. "Luv...I want a snack."

Spike sighed yet again. "I will get you something, baby. Just give me a minute." He sat down is his chair and put his feet up on the table. "Before you go, Mr. Speaker, I'm curious. How is Willow? Are your men hurting her or are they sworn to celibacy and all that?"

"We are not tempted by the flesh," Jhamel snapped.

Spike regarded him. "My baby girl doesn't like damaged goods, incase you're wondering why I'm asking."

Jhamel looked at him. "We do not hurt her body except to keep her tied in place. We restrict her movement. It is her mind that we do the most damage to. We weaken her will. We break her spirit. We tell her lies instead of truths." He shrugged. "We give her hope, then we crush it before her." He waved his hands in the air. "She is already broken." He leaned against the table and looked into Spike's eyes. "When we give her to you, her mind will be completely gone. And you can do with her as you will."

Spike looked at him for a long time. Finally, he nodded his head. "I was right about you. For a human..." he pointed at him, "you're a cold-hearted bastard."

When the three terrorists had finally left, Dru wrapped her arms around Spike's neck and moaned. "Oh, my luv...I'm so hungry." She closed her eyes and danced seductively against him.

Dalton pretended to be busy looking elsewhere.

Spike held her with one arm around her. With his other hand, he snapped his fingers at the three minions. "Get us some food. Now!" Then he pointed at Dalton. "And you find a bloody hole to crawl into! Take your books, and read! I don't want to see your bloody face until you have the ritual!"

Dalton took his books and ran off.

But the three minions were still there. They looked at each other nervously.

"Why are you idiots still standing there?" Spike demanded. "Aren't you supposed to be shopping?"

"But..." one of them dared to say, "it's daylight."

"Then keep to the shadows."

"But...we'll have to--"

Spike glared at them. "Go! Now!"

The three vampires took off at a run. Dru continued to dance against Spike and as much as he was enjoying it...there was something else he had to attend to. He guided Dru to her chair and gently eased her back into it.

Dru wanted to protest. "But I want to dance, luv."

He took her hands in his as she sat back in the chair, clearly exhausted. "You need to rest, baby." Spike looked at her with concern. "We'll dance after you've had a snack. All right?" He kissed her hands. "Now be a good girl and wait right here. Okay?"

"Okay, darling." She leaned back and closed her eyes.

Spike looked at her lovingly, and caressed her cheek. He turned to go when she said softly, "He's coming...I saw him..."

Puzzled, Spike turned to look at Dru closely. "Who's coming, luv?"

"He who was but is no more...He who is, yet still not sure..." She trailed off, and then appeared to be sleeping.

Spike frowned. "Luv...? Dru?" When there was no response, he turned and suddenly leapt upwards. Within seconds, he was on the catwalk face to face with Angel. "Heard enough?" he demanded.

Angel let out a sigh. "Get out of my way, Spike."

Spike pretended to be hurt. "Angel! You pierce my heart! I only wanted to pick your brain about the meeting you just attended. There's really no need to get defensive. This is my home, after all!"

"Spike, I don't have time for this."

Spike nodded his head. "Yes, you do. Where do you think you're going off to anyway? Did you really think you were going to follow them in broad daylight hoping they would lead you to Willow?" He laughed. "It's daylight hours, sunshine. Wake up and smell the roses."

Angel frowned. But he realized that Spike was right. "Where is she, Spike?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Do you even know?"

Spike leaned against the railings, folded his arms across his chest and sighed. "I'm afraid I don't know...But it's only a matter of time before one of us finds out where they're keeping her." He regarded Angel thoughtfully. "We could join forces and work together on this."

Angel looked at him suspiciously. "Join forces? You and me?"

He nodded. "And the Slayer, though I'd rather not."

Angel looked stunned. "Am I hearing you right, Spike? I just heard you make new allies with terrorists!"

Spike shrugged. "They didn't know I was lying to them."

"Well, how do I know that you're not lying to me?"

Spike let out a weary sigh of frustration. "Oh, for pity's sake, Angel! These mad terrorists want to nuke the whole damn town!! Do you really think I want that? Of course, I don't! I happen to like my bloody humble home. Yes, I want the Hellmouth open, but I don't believe for a moment that a nuclear device will do the trick." He paused as he looked at Angel. "I'm asking for a truce." He held out his hand.

Angel seemed to think about it. "What about Willow?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Forget Willow. She's too thin for a snack anyway. More like a crumb and you can't really get full on that, can you?"

"If you get to her, you won't harm her in any way?"

"You have my bleeding word." Spike hesitated, "You know my word is good. Have I ever broken my word with you in spite of our differences?"

Angel shook his head. "I believe you, Spike. But you have to keep the others from her, and you can't give her to Dru."

"She'll be safer with me than where she is right now." Spike let out a sigh. "Angel, we have to stop these damn terrorists and I'm willing to do everything in my power to do so." He held his hand out again. "Truce?"

Angel looked at Spike's hand...and then he shook it. "Truce."

They shook. But when this was over, Angel had to find out what this ritual was that Dalton was looking into and...who was this person that Dru saw in a vision?

"He who was but is no more...He who is, yet still not sure."

_______ _______ _______

They ate their breakfast in silence.

Mulder had given up on talking any further about what had happened during the night. He should have known that Scully would have seen something else. He could only swear that the girl was extremely dense at times. What would it take to convince her that the truth really was out there?

He sipped his coffee and watched the traffic below the second floor patio of Motel 6. Scully was reading the paper.

"Mulder...listen to this." She read part of an article. " _'Willow Rosenberg disappeared from her home Thursday afternoon under bizarre circumstances. Burglary was not suspected because the parents, Ire and Sheila Rosenberg were only sedated and their daughter was apparently taken.'_ "

Mulder frowned. "What kind of journalists do they have in this town? _'Burglary not suspected'_? Sounds like Willow Rosenberg was burglarized to me."

"The address of the Rosenberg home is not far from here. I passed the street they live on last night." She smiled teasingly at him. "Do you think it was vampires?"

He shrugged. "Only if they were wrapped from head to toe with a dark drape and wearing dark sunglasses. The afternoon when the disappearance occurred is not a good time for them to come out." He paused in thought. "But there has been some instances where some humans would do their bidding during the day."

She frowned. "Why don't we just go and take a look? That would give me a good excuse for me being here with you."

Mulder hid a grin. "What's the matter, Scully? You don't like my company?"

"No, Mulder...I don't. Did you take a shower? You stink." She got up to go. "Are you coming?"

Mulder got up from the table. "Sure, but you're driving. I'd rather stink up your rental than mine."

_______ _______ ________ _______ _______ _______ _______


	5. Love Stinks

Mulder and Scully arrived at the Rosenberg Residence early that morning. They rang the doorbell and the door was opened by a man in his late thirty's.

Mulder and Scully flashed their badges.

"Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully with the FBI," Mulder said by way of greeting. "Are you Ira Rosenberg?"

Barrington shook his head. "No. My name is Albert Barrington." He flashed his own badge. "I'm also FBI, but no one has ever called me special." Being in the FBI was only a cover for what he truly was. He worked for the government, but the outfit he was in-codenamed the Hunters- was secretly sanctioned. The Hunters was a strike force against acts of terrorism. "What's so special about you two?"

Mulder and Scully looked at each other. Then they looked at Barrington and saw that he was grinning at them. Mulder returned the grin, but the red- haired lady was all business.

"You're working on the case of Willow Rosenberg's disappearance?" Scully wanted to know, always going for the obvious.

Barrington looked at her. "How do you know Willow Rosenberg is missing?"

Mulder held up the paper and showed him the article. There was even a picture of Willow in the article. Barrington took the paper and scowled. "How did the press get this?"

Mulder and Scully again looked at each other. "This was supposed to be kept secret?" Mulder wanted to know.

Barrington let out a sigh. "C'mon in," he said, not answering the question.

The FBI agents followed Barrington in through the front door.

"Where are the Rosenberg's?" Scully asked.

"They're at a safe house," Barrington responded. "They're out of danger and we'd like to keep them that way."

The agents followed Barrington through the living room and into the kitchen.

Eventually they wound up in Willow's room where Billy _Crazy Man_ Fronk was sitting at Willow's computer. Pieces of it were scattered around the room. He had on a pair of headphones, a mouthpiece with a microphone, and there was even a gadget over his left eye that made him look like the Borg. He had three different keyboards and a toggle stick hooked up to the computer. There was also a stack of papers on the floor at his feet.

Barrington waved at the man. "This is William Fronk, otherwise known as Crazy Man." Hr turned to the Hunters computer expert. "Bill, I'd like to introduce--"

Fronk cut him off with a cackle as he waved at the newcomers. "We-ell!! I'll be a sonofabitch! Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully!" He let out a Pop-eye laugh. "Well, shiver me timbers, and look outs be-loooooow!" Suddenly, he switched to valley-dude mode. "Oh, sorry, ma-an, but...uh...I'd really like to get up and like shake your hands and all, you know, dude and dudette...but...uh...like I'm really kind of buried underneath all this stuff right now...Bummer, huh? You know?"

Mulder and Scully looked at each other.

"How did you know who we were?" Scully demanded.

Fronk grinned and turned on his John Wayne. "Hell, pretty lady." He winked at her. "I'm what you would call a subscriber."

"To what?"

He laughed an evil laugh, playing the villain. "The Lone Gunmen, of course." He leered at the two agents with his one visible eye. "Now I know all your dirty little secrets, too. Nyay!"

Barrington saw the look that Scully shot at Mulder and he wished him well. He tried to keep himself from grinning...too much.

"Mulder...did they write an article about us?" Scully demanded.

Mulder did the only thing he could think of in a circumstance like this one. He completely ignored the question. "So, Crazy Man...you like the Lone Gunmen subscription?"

Fronk nodded his head. "But I'm not the only one who likes them," he said knowingly.

Mulder looked at Barrington. "You?"

Barrington shook his head. "No. Actually it looks like Willow has a subscription as well." He indicated the stack of papers at Fronk's feet.

Mulder saw the magazines and flipped through them. "Interesting." He looked at Fronk and knew that the man was some kind of genius with the computer. "So...who exactly is this Willow Rosenberg, and why is she missing?"

"We don't have all the answers yet," Barrington began, "but we do know that Willow was kidnapped by terrorists from the Iranian Liberation Front. We don't know why yet, except that these terrorists had tapped into her computer."

"But you know that they have kidnapped her for certain?" Scully asked.

He nodded grimly. "I received a call from my partner just before you arrived. One of Willow's friends had received a videotape this morning. They viewed it in the school's library."

"What was on the tape?"

"An interrogation."

Scully looked at him incredulous. "Are you saying that terrorists interrogated a young girl and they recorded it?"

"What else was on the tape?" Mulder asked.

Barrington shrugged. "I don't know. My partners are bringing the tape with them. They'll be here shortly. The school's not far from here."

Mulder paused in thought. He was thinking of the Hellmouth. "I wonder why terrorists want to come here to Sunnydale, California."

Scully shot him a look.

Fronk tapped on Mulder's arm.

Mulder looked at him.

Fronk grinned. "Saaaaaaaay! Do ya think the Lone Gunmen would write an article about me?"

_______ _______ _______

Staci was amazed that Xander's hand was not damaged. There wasn't a scratch or a bruise from when his fist had gone through the television set. The VCR, of course, was unharmed and Lenox extracted the video from it.

Buffy and Cordelia were almost in a state of shock. Giles himself was at a total loss of words and Jenny was trying to offer some comfort. Lenox moved to Giles office where he used the phone to call Barrington as Staci made certain that Xander was all right.

Xander was not all right. His cool demeanor was almost shaken to the core and as Buffy watched him, she could recall another time when he had acted this way. It was when she had returned with Xander from the Power Plant, escaping from vampires with their lives intact. That day, both Willow and Xander had lost a friend...Jesse.

"It's all my fault," Xander retorted angrily. "I should have gone with her to her house after school. I should have..." He stopped. He looked over and saw that Cordelia was watching him. He hadn't gone to Willow's house after school because he had been in a closet with Cordelia, and they had been into some serious kissing. He looked away. "I'm the one to blame."

Staci shook her head and put her hands on his shoulder, trying to get him to look at her. "No, Xander. No one is to blame for this except for those who were responsible in taking Willow away."

He looked at her. Then he shook his head. "I've been such a damn fool."

"Hey, we will get her back."

He paused. He could see through the window into Giles office where Lenox was talking onto the phone. Xander nodded his head toward him. "You think he can really find Willow?"

Staci nodded without hesitation, looking toward her husband. "Yes, I do, because he _will_ find her."

Buffy and Cordelia got up from where they were and they joined them. Giles and Jenny were also close by.

Xander regained some of his lost composure as he turned to Buffy and Cordelia. "You know...Willow is very smart when it comes to computers." He regarded Staci. "Did you know that before your wedding, she wanted to make sure you were marrying the right guy."

Staci looked at him. "Really? No. I didn't know that."

Buffy smiled wryly as she recalled rhe same memory. "Yeah, I remember that. SuperHacker Girl hacked into some files and she went-a searching for anything she could find about Michael Lenox. For at least four days, that's all she would talk about! Then she found out that he was some kind of secret agent sanctioned by the government."

Xander let out a chuckle. "Willow thought that word was cool. _Sanction_."

Staci tried not to look so alarmed. But the thought of Willow hacking into files to learn about Lenox was distressing to her. It meant she must have gone into government files. _Could that be...?_ Her thoughts trailed off as Cordelia jumped into the conversation.

"You'll be happy to know,'" Cordelia began with a friendly smile, "that Willow has decided Michael Lenox is good for you. After all, he was fighting to save the world...just like Buffy!" She suddenly frowned when both Xander and Buffy gave her warning looks. "What? It's what Willow said!"

Staci placed a reassuring hand on Buffy's arm. "It's okay, Buffy. We know that you're the Slayer. We've known that since you've been here."

Buffy looked at her in surprise.

Giles cleared his throat. "Uhm...Ex-excuse me for just a...a moment, won't you?" He waited as Staci turned to look at him and he tried to gather his thoughts. "You know...about the Slayer?"

"Yes, we do," Lenox responded as he re-entered the room with the videotape in his hand. "We know a lot about Sunnydale and it's history. Not as much as you know about it, but enough." Solemnly, he turned to regard Xander and Buffy. "You guys are right. Willow is good with the computer...but there are others out there who are better. Willow got careless."

Xander frowned. He was prepared to defend Willow at any cost. "What do you mean, she was careless?"

Lenox glanced at his wife. "Willow broke into some files that she wasn't supposed to. Government files. She went in and then when she backed out, I'm sure she must have thought she was covering her tracks. Unfortunately, she left a trail, which led right back to her. That's how the terrorists discovered her. That's how they learned about Sunnydale." He paused as he gathered his thoughts. Then he looked at Xander. "I heard you out here blaming yourself. If you want to blame someone, Xander, don't blame yourself. Blame me."

"You?"

"If there is blame to give, then I'm the one who's at fault. She went into the net looking for information about me, and that's how they found her."

Silence filled the room.

"We have to find her," Buffy said. She was tired of talking about blame. She wanted action.

Lenox nodded his head. "We will. But we need to work together."

"Wait a minute! You're actually going to let us help you?" Cordelia was incredulous. "But, like...in all the movies, the agents always want to do it themselves, and there's usually a big fight!"

"Well, our situation is somewhat unique," Giles pointed out. "For one, Buffy fights vampires."

"And I fight terrorists," Lenox said. He looked at Buffy. "And they're both out there waiting for us."

Buffy shrugged. "Oh, great. I get it! This is like a Marvel-Teamup. Spider-Girl teams up with the Punisher to fight against Dr. Doom and Morbius!"

Giles took off his glasses as he tried to gather his thoughts. "He's...he's right, Buffy. You know plenty about vampires and demons...an- and such, but you don't know a thing about terrorists. I must admit, I myself am at a loss. They don't appear to even act with rational thought, and yet...they're obviously rather clever. Almost too clever. The most unpredictable enemy ever encountered."

"Yeah, well..." Xander began, thinking only of Willow, "I don't care how unpredictable these bastards are. Willow shouldn't be in their clutches alone. I have to go to her."

Buffy looked at him in alarm. "Xander, what...what are you saying?"

Xander turned to look at her. He suddenly realized that all eyes were upon him. He decided he couldn't let them know what he was thinking, that he fully intended to give himself over to the terrorists at the first opportunity so that Willow wouldn't be going through this ordeal alone. He faked a smile and a shrug. "Nothing, Buffy. I'm just talking crazy talk because I'm scared for Willow."

She shook her head and moved to stand in front of him, looking into his eyes. "No, you're not! I know you better than you realize. You're talking crazy talk because you're thinking about doing something crazy. You can't do it! And you won't. We can't lose you, too. I can't lose both of you!" She let out a sigh. "I've thrown a desk at you before, dammit! Please don't make me do it again."

Xander took a deep breath. "Stop saying that _we can't lose you, too_ bit. We haven't lost Willow and we're not going to."

"If you go to them, they won't need her," she said softly. "Do you think they'll let her go?"

Lenox nodded his head grimly. "Buffy's right, Xander. If you give yourself up to them, they may kill Willow."

Xander shook his head in anger. "No, they wouldn't. I don't believe that for a minute. They might use her against me, but they wouldn't kill her!" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Why the hell are we talking about this?! Isn't there something we should be doing? Like _looking for Will_?!"

Giles turned to Lenox. "What is the plan?"

"I need to get this tape to Willow's house." Lenox let out a weary sigh as he glanced with concern at Xander. "We'll watch it again and see if there's anything in there that might indicate where the terrorists are holding her. We'll also be able to identify the terrorists. We've seen some of their faces so we might be able to get a profile on them if they're in the FBI terrorist database."

Cordelia raised a hand as if she were in a class. "Oh...what do we do?"

Staci glanced at Lenox. "We should all stay at Willow's house. Not one of you should be alone. They may come after you."

"Let them come," Xander replied softly.

Buffy shot him a worried look. "Uhm...I have to run home," she said. "My Mom is away on a business trip, but she might have called and left messages for me. And I really have to check them." As if she had just thought of the idea, she smiled brightly. "I know! Xander should come with me! We'll go in, check for messages real quick...and then meet everybody back at Willow's for a real Terrorist-Bashing Pre-Party!" She smiled at the others. "Okay? All right with you guys?" She nodded quickly, and spoke again before anyone could respond. "Great! Then that's settled." She grabbed Xander's arm and began to guide him toward the door. "Let's go, Xander-Man."

"Wait a minute..." Lenox stopped them. "Someone else should go with you."

Buffy shook her head. "No need for that. Really! I am the Slayer. I know how to defend myself." Silently, she added, _I really need to speak with Xander so butt out!_

Staci moved toward them. "Why don't I drive you there?"

Buffy opened her mouth to respond.

Staci seemed to understand why Buffy wanted to go alone with Xander. "I'll take you to your house and wait in the car while you check for your mothers messages."

"Oh..." Buffy shrugged. "Okay. Then...let's go."

Cordelia headed for them. "Hey! Wait for me!"

Buffy looked at her, but she didn't know how to tell Cordelia to bug off without being polite about it. So the foursome left together. Lenox went back to the Rosenberg Residence with Giles and Jenny.

_______ _______ _______

During the drive to Buffy's house, hardly a word was spoken at first. Staci understood what was going on through their minds. She could tell that Xander and Cordelia had been having an _experimental_ fling. There was or had been something there between Xander and Buffy as well, she thought, only Buffy clearly just wanted to be friends.

However, something was happening to Xander. Staci had seen his face when he watched the tape. Something happened within him as he had watched Willow's confession of her feelings for him. It was as if he came to a realization that was always there, but just under the surface. He was dealing with emotions he had not wanted to face.

Xander was riding in the front seat with Staci, and as she drove, she kept watch of him with concern. "Xander...are you okay?"

Xander let out a sigh. He turned his head to glance in the back seat at Buffy and Cordelia, who were also watching him with worry in their eyes. He sat back, looked out the window, and took a deep breath. "No, Mrs. Lenox. I am not okay. Nowhere near it." He threw his hands up dramatically. "This is the worst day of my life." He shook his head. "And the worst thing of it is...I can't get Willow out of my mind."

"Are you trying to get Willow out of your mind?"

"No...I'm not trying to get Will out!" He suddenly felt a little choked up. "I'm trying to block out those images on the tape." He looked out the window. "Will's my best friend. She's my...she's my girl. And I'm scared...and a little messed up right now like I've never been so messed up before."

Staci glanced in the rearview mirror at the two quiet girls in the back seat. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked Xander.

Xander glanced at her. "Do you work for the government, too...or are you some kind of shrink?"

She favored him with a smile.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well...it's like this. _She likes him...but he likes her...and she likes somebody else...you just can't win._ " He looked at Staci and sadly shook his head. "The bottom line is that J. Giels is right. Love stinks!"

"I'm sorry, Xander," Cordelia said softly from the back seat.

He spun around to face her, ready to chew her out even if she didn't really deserve it, but he stopped short. None of this was her fault and she didn't deserve a tongue lashing. Even if she did have a reputation for being an Ice Queen.

Xander hesitated, "You have nothing to be sorry for, Cordy."

"I'm just sorry about Willow, and everything we've done to hurt her, and...and..." She shook her head. "I'm just sorry! Okay?"

Buffy blinked in surprise. "Am I asleep? Is this a dream? Did Cordelia Chase apologize for something?" She shook her head. "Vampires, demons...terrorists...and now...this?"

Cordelia narrowed her eyes at Biffy. "Don't push it."

"You apologized," Buffy pushed. "The apocalypse really is here because now I've seen everything."

"You're going to see stars if you don't shut up."

Buffy couldn't help it. She snorted a laugh. "Oh, you wouldn't dare hit me. You might break a nail from your delicate fingers."

"Okay...enough of that! Look, normally, I'd really love to see a fight between you two...in bikinis...and mud..." He sighed. "Aw, hell! I'll just spit it out...okay?

Buffy and Cordelia looked at him.

He sighed heavily. "All right...Here goes. Buffy...I have always wanted to go out with you since day one. From the first time I saw you...up until I saw that tape. Besides, you do have Angel." He looked at Cordelia. "And you! You are one heluva kisser, but...I think my feelings for you are from my out-of-control hormones that simply refuse to behave every time I see a pretty face and a curvy..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Cordy. I know we have something, but I don't think it's love. I--"

Cordelia shook her head and raised a hand toward him to stop him. "It's okay. I know." She paused. "You know, Xander, you're just like every guy out there."

He looked at her suspiciously. "Cordy...I'm not sure if that's a compliment."

"It's the truth. You just don't get it, do you? You just don't know what you have until it's been taken away from you. I used to watch the way you and Willow acted whenever you were together, and I always thought you would have made the perfect couple."

Xander looked surprised. "You did?"

Buffy agreed. "So did I. You and Willow do make a nice couple."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"Xander, Willow was giving you every signal in the book! You were just so blind to every one of those signals. You were too busy looking at other things. Things you couldn't have!"

Staci drove into Buffy's driveway. "The grass is always greener on the other side," she commented.

Xander paused in thought. "Yeah...but when you get to the other side, you discover that the grass is just turf and underneath is nothing but dirt."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	6. The Knife

"So... _you_ are the Slayer's friend."

Willow was as far back into the corner of her cot as she could get to. Her wrists were still bound together with the rope at the headboard. She was also still trapped in this nightmare without a ray of hope. Her friends were nowhere nearby, her parents were not with her, and Xander was all she could think about when she was not being tormented. She tried to keep Xander deep in her thoughts because it helped to pass the time. It was the only thing that made sense to her.

She was terrified that something was going to happen to her every time that door opened. They never gave her a moment of rest. They were always keeping her off balance. But no matter what they did to her, nothing terrified her more than when the terrorist known as the Knife dropped by for a visit.

Whenever he entered into her tiny cell, she could feel the presence of evil. She wished only the Speaker would see her. It didn't matter how mean he was, she just didn't sense evil from him like she did with the Knife.

And here the Knife had decided to visit her once more, taunting her with cruel words and waving his knife menacingly through the air. Sometimes, he would come dangerously close to her with that knife.

Rueben Julius scowled at her as if he were disgusted. "You chase vampires with the Slayer, do you? You like vampires. Is this true?" He shook his head at her. "Look at you! You are just a scrap of food not even fit for one single vampire! You are just a tiny morsel!" He tipped his head back and roared, "Hah! What would a vampire want with the likes of you?!"

Willow didn't answer. She didn't dare. She had decided it would be safer to answer only when he made it clear he wanted her to respond. So these questions he was throwing at her were only rhetorical ones, not truly meant for answering...At least she hoped that was the case.

Julius glared at her thoughtfully for a long time.

She hated when he did that. It made her feel like he could see her innermost thoughts. That everything about her was being revealed to him. She felt so small and yet there was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

Finally, he spoke again. "If I were a vampire, I know what I would do with you." He leaned menacingly over her, glaring into her face. "I would put a leash around your throat and keep you as a pet!"

Willow flinched, new tears rolling down her cheeks.

But Julius was done with his tirade...for the moment. He abruptly spun on his heel and left her alone to cry in her despair. She put her face in her hands and did the only thing that was left to do. She had only one option. She prayed. "Please...help me...I'm so scared...so alone...please..." She closed her eyes and prayed silently.

Jeremiah was suddenly there beside her. He put his hand on her head and said softly, "Rest, child. Sleep."

Since her captivity, which was nineteen hours ago, she had not been able to sleep. They wouldn't let her. But suddenly, she fell into a deep, restful sleep.

And Willow dreamed...

_______ _______ _______

Willow was lying on the grass beneath a bright, blue sky. She looked around her and smiled. She was free. She looked happily at her wrists, which were no longer bound by ropes. There was no musty, old, filthy cot for her to lie on. There were no terrorists.

But there was a man.

She looked up at him and decided that whoever he was, he looked just like Christopher Walken. "Hello."

The man smiled down at her. "Hello, Willow."

"Who are you? Did...did you free me from the terrorists?"

"I am an angel of the Lord of Hosts. I've been sent to protect you." He smiled warmly. "You can call me Jeremiah. As for freeing you from your enemies...I'm afraid that I did not. I brought you here to rest."

Willow looked sad for a moment as she realized she must be dreaming. "Oh...Well...it is nice here. I-I like it better than my old cell." She regarded Jeremiah. She rose to her feet and still, she had to tilt her head to look up at him. "Well...you're really tall for Christopher Walken. You must be an angel. Uh...are you a real angel?"

"I am."

"You don't have any wings," she pointed out.

"I am revealed to you as your mind perceives me."

She looked at him. Then she giggled. "I saw Prophecy with Xander! That must be why I see you as...!" she trailed off as she realized something. "Uh...He was a bad angel in that movie. Um...you're not...?"

Jeremiah smiled reassuringly at her. "I am not a bad angel. Truthfully, Willow, a bad angel is nothing more than a demon."

She regarded him once more, thinking to herself about her situation. "Why am I here in this dream, Jeremiah? Are you supposed to show me something?"

"Perhaps you will show something to yourself."

She began to think about Xander and Julius' threat about what he intended to do to him. She had to talk about what it was doing to her inside. "Jeremiah...I'm afraid."

Jeremiah misunderstood her fear. "Willow, you must have faith. Faith is the only thing that will save you. Without it, you will not be able to stand against what you will face."

"I-I don't care about what I will face!" she exclaimed. "I'm afraid that Xan-Xander will do something crazy, Jeremiah! If...if he tries to find me, they'll hurt him." There were tears in her eyes. "The Knife will kill him. Please...please don't let that happen!"

"I'm amazed at you. I thought you were afraid for yourself, but your love is clearly strong for Xander." He smiled at her warmly. "You truly do love him, don't you?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Do you think he loves you?"

She looked up at the blue sky and focused her thoughts on Xander. "I-I don't know," she said quietly, in hushed tones. "I mean, he-he likes me..." She trailed off. She remembered what Julius had said about making Xander confess that he felt nothing for her. "I just don't want him to hate me."

"Willow...look out there..." He pointed. "What do you see?"

She looked off in the distance and thought she could see a tower of some kind. Then her eyes widened. "I...I know that tower..." Suddenly, she took off at a run and ran through a meadow. The meadow eventually stopped and she found herself on top of a cliff that overlooked a quarry. A huge, metallic frame structure formed a tower in the center of the quarry.

Looking down into the quarry, Willow saw an amazing site. A little girl was running as fast as her legs would allow her toward that huge tower. Her breath caught in her throat, and she gasped.

"What is it, Willow?" Jeremiah asked her. He was standing beside her.

She pointed excitedly. "Th-that...that girl down there! Uh-th-that's me! Me, Jeremiah, when I was seven years old!"

"Where are you going?"

The memory of that day flooded into her mind and she stared at the running girl below. "I-I was going into the tower to be rescued by the knight from the evil dragon." She paused as she realized..."We've been here before..."

And there behind the running girl, but a bit further away, was a running boy.

"Will!!" the boy called. "Stop running!!"

From the cliff, Willow stared. It was Xander.

Again, Willow began to point and wave excitedly. "That-that-that's Xander!" She looked at Jeremiah and it seemed she couldn't stand still for the excitement she felt. "It's Xander, Jeremiah!!" She looked down into the quarry. "Xander...Xander!" she called.

Jeremiah shook his head. "They cannot hear you, Willow."

She looked at him. "Oh...They can't?"

He shook his head again.

"Oh..." She thought about that. "It's because this is a dream...right?"

"Yes...and no."

She tilted her head and looked puzzled. "You're beginning to sound like a certain librarian. Giles can get pretty confusing at times."

Jeremiah smiled. "This is a dream, yes. But what you are seeing here is also a memory."

Willow looked down once again and was just in time to watch herself as a child of seven begin to climb the tower.

"You said that you wanted to climb the tower to be rescued by a knight...from a dragon?" Jeremiah watched her with a bemused smile.

"Oh...well...uh...not a real, real dragon," Willow replied, looking slightly embarrassed. "Uh...you know, from a pretend dragon. And Xander...well, he was my pretend knight." She looked down as the child Willow was already high into the tower and the child Xander was standing nervously at the bottom of the steps. He was quite hesitant.

Jeremiah glanced at Willow. "The young girl seems to have no fear about climbing on such a dangerous, unstable structure."

She nodded in agreement. "I wanted to see Sunnydale from the top. But, Xander...he was afraid of heights."

"But he followed you up, didn't he?"

She nodded again, just as the boy below mustered his courage and began the long climb. "I-I didn't know that he was afraid. I found out years later that he only went up because..." Tears welled in her eyes.

"Because...?" Jeremiah gently prodded.

She looked at him. "Because he didn't want me to go alone." She returned her attention to the tower, and she saw the child Willow step onto a makeshift catwalk. The rotting wood burst apart beneath her feet and she fell through, screaming. Somehow, the little girl managed to grab at the metal edge and she hung on for dear life.

"Xander!! Xander!!" the girl screamed.

Willow was rooted to the spot. She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe. Her eyes were fixed on the scene. The child Xander seemed to have immediately overcome his fear of heights and he shouted, "Hold on!" He climbed as fast as he could. The child Willow's fingers were bleeding. The metal she had a grip on was sharp. She was starting to slip. "Help!! Help!! Help!!" Just as her fingers slipped free, Xander dove onto the very edge and grabbed her outstretched hand. He pulled her to safety and for the longest time, he held her trembling body close to his, stroking her hair.

"I won't let you go, Willow," the boy said softly to her. "I promise you...I will never let you go."

Willow felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. And then she realized something...She realized what Jeremiah was doing. She turned to look at him. "We've been here before...And he did save me then...Xander did save my life."

Jeremiah nodded. "And now...?"

She stared down at the quarry and immediately saw the change. The children of Xander and Willow were gone. In their place, she saw two black vans with men hanging around them. She saw Jhamel, the Speaker shouting out orders. She looked at the tower. She had the strangest impression that where her life had once been saved was now going to be where her life would end.

She fell on her knees. "Oh, Xander...I-I miss you so much."

_______ _______ _______

The dream was over.

Her faith, just when it had begun was now put to the test.

Willow opened her eyes only to find Julius screaming at her in his language, and roughly shaking her awake. She cried out and when he was satisfied that he had her full attention, he showed her his knife.

It was stained with blood.

"Do you know what this is?" he demanded. "Tell me!!"

She swallowed nervously, although her mouth and throat were so dry. "Bl-blood."

Julius nodded his head once. "Yes! It is blood." He leaned closer to her, glaring into her eyes. "But now the question is...who's blood is it?" He studied her closely.

Willow kept eye contact with him. She dared not risk looking away. But how was she to know who's blood was on that knife...She saw him begin to grin, and it was an evil grin. That's when she recalled the threat he had initiated earlier about...

"No..." It came out as a hoarse whisper.

Julius looked at her. "What did you say, girl?"

The tears began to blur her vision. "No," she said, more forcefully. She felt constricted in her breathing. "Please...don't do this..."

He stepped back. Then without warning, he grabbed her leg and pulled her leg out straight. He wiped the blood on her pant leg and moved back. "You can wear his blood," he snarled. "Call it his last parting gift to you."

"Xan-Xander...?"

"Xander." Julius tossed his head back and laughed. He was still laughing as he left her cell.

Willow fell back into her corner in shock. Then she screamed out Xander's name and wept bitterly.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	7. The Last Straw

Cordelia decided to stay in the car with Staci as Xander and Buffy went into Buffy's house. Once they were inside and alone, Buffy closed the door and immediately turned to Xander. "I need to know that you're okay, Xander!" she exclaimed in a rush. "I know you! I have to know you're not going to do anything stupid like try to go after Willow on your own."

"Buffy..." Xander began calmly, "I came here with you, didn't I? I could have ducked out on everybody back at the school." He paused. "But I realized I won't be any good to Will if I go and do something...Oh, I don't know...Xanderish!"

Buffy looked at him suspiciously. "Then you aren't going to do anything stupid or crazy? You're okay?"

"I'm not going to do anything stupid or crazy." He looked at her and a serious expression crossed his face. "But I won't tell you I'm okay because I'm not. I'll never be okay until Will is safe at my side...." As he spoke, he seemed to realize what he was saying and that it was something he should have been saying long before now. "...where she belongs. And I belong..." He let out a sigh. "Why do things like this take such a long time for me to grasp?" Suddenly, he stood up straight and wiped at his eyes in astonishment. "Hey, what...what the hell is this? Am I...am I crying?" He looked at Buffy and tried to stop himself. "No! I won't...I can't... _There's no crying in Xanderland!_ "

Buffy put her arms around her friend and hugged him. Xander returned the hug albeit a bit awkwardly. When they finally managed to stop, they backed off and nervously tried to regain their composure.

Xander let out a chuckle.

Buffy looked at him curiously. "What?"

"You know...that's the first time I hugged you without thinking about being in a closet or a storage shed with you."

She looked at him blankly. "What?" she repeated.

"Nothing. Forget I ever said that."

She nodded. "Okay. I will." She shrugged and said, "Well, let me check the phone messages and if my Mom called, I'll have to call her back."

Xander hesitated, "Are you going to tell her about..."

Buffy shook her head. "No. I can't."

"Buffy, your Mom is going to find out sooner or later."

She made a face. "Later...I think. I can't tell her now."

Xander leaned against the kitchen counter and regarded Buffy for a moment. She remained still because she had the sudden impression that he had something to say. "Buffy," he began casually, "Will and I grew up together...since we were toddlers. We went to the same grade school...We did everything together."

Buffy nodded encouragingly. "I know," she said softly.

"Did she ever mention to you about the time I saved her life?"

She shook her head. "No." She paused. "Well, sometimes she refers to you as her hero or her knight in shining armor, but...I took that as she likes you more than you thought she did and she wanted you to wake up. She just wanted you to be her white knight for real." She regarded him. "How did you save Willow's life, Xander?"

"We climbed up this old rickety tower when we were just kids. At the time, she didn't know it but I was afraid of heights." He smiled fondly at the memory. "I'm not now. At least I don't think I am. I have Will to thank for that. But...up on that tower, she fell and I caught her. I kept her from falling and for the longest time, we just stayed up there." He was caught in the memory. "We were just kids. We had no idea about the birds and the bees, so we were just so happy and content to be holding each other. Like best friends...Do you know something?" He smiled. "That was the happiest day of my life, just being able to hold her and know that she was safe...that she was still with me. And...I think she saved me that day from myself."

Buffy paused to think about what he had just told her. "Do you know what I think you should do when we get Willow back?"

He didn't answer, but he waited for her to continue.

"You should grab a hold of her, hug her tightly to you, and never let her go."

Xander nodded thoughtfully. "I will, Buffy."

"Now just give me a minute or two. If I do have to call my Mom, I'll be a bit longer."

He shrugged. "I'll wait."

Buffy nodded. Then she disappeared into the other room.

Xander looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep breath. He was thinking of Willow and trying to guess where she could possibly be. Unfortunately, he had no idea where the terrorists had taken her. He brought down his head and was looking into the living room where he could see the sofa, the lounge chair and the coffee table. He couldn't believe his eyes. There on the coffee table was another video.

Shivers actually ran up and down his spine as he moved into the living room and picked up the tape. He thought about calling out to Buffy but then he thought he heard her talking on the phone upstairs. So he looked at the tape in his hand, and then he looked at the television set against the wall. The VCR was beneath it on a shelf.

He hesitated, but gathering up his courage, he turned on the TV and the VCR and he popped in the tape.

Kneeling in front of the TV, he hoped for the strength not to hurl his fist through Buffy's television set.

He picked up the remote, grabbed a chair and pulled it right up close to the TV. He sat in it, leaned forward, and pushed play on the remote.

There was a terrorist glaring at him from the screen, but it wasn't the one who called himself the Speaker. It was the one who enjoyed tormenting Willow with taunts and his knife.

 _"Infidels of Satan!!"_ the terrorist screamed, his veins literally bulging in his neck. _"I will remind you of what your friend is facing only because you are too cowardly to bring yourself to her aid! Make no mistake! I, the Knife, will kill her myself, and I will do it slowly!"_

The scene switched to Willow in her prison, huddled in the corner on her bed as the noise bombarded her from outside her cell. Then the Knife entered after the noise had stopped and told her what he would do to her if he had been a vampire. Xander almost put his fist through the TV right then and there but he managed to stop himself.

Then a strange thing happened.

It got quiet in the cell.

He stared at Willow intently because he couldn't be sure if she were sleeping or dead. He brought his hand up to the screen and touched the image of Willow.

"Will..." he said softly.

As if in response, Willow said just as softly, _"Xander..."_

Xander blinked and jerked back. He stared at the image on the screen, but Willow's eyes were closed. Maybe she was sleeping...and she was talking in her sleep. He smiled warmly. "She's dreaming about me." He kept watching. "Will..." He waited.

_"Xander..."_

The chills in his spine were back, but he felt daring now. True it probably wasn't going to work. Who was he kidding? He knew it wouldn't work...But he was going crazy. He touched the screen again, watching his girl intently. "Will...please...I want to help you so badly...Tell me, Will. Where are you?"

Murmuring in her sleep, Willow responded. _"I-I was going into the tower to be rescued by the knight from the evil dragon."_

Xander did a double take. "What?!"

_"We've been here before..."_

Xander rose to his feet and stared. This was not possible, but it all came to him. The tower. The quarry. His eyes widened. The quarry! "That's it!" he exclaimed. "I know where Will is! I have to tell the others! I- -"

That's when his eyes were drawn to the new scene on the screen. The Knife stormed in and shook Willow out of her sleep. He showed her his knife that he held in his hand, and it clearly had blood on it.

_"B-blood."_

_"Yes! It is blood. But now the question is...who's blood is it?"_

A look of understanding and fear crossed Willow's face. New tears began to form. _"No..."_

_"What did you say, girl?"_

"You bastard!" Xander retorted under his breath, clenching his fists in anger.

_"No...please...don't do this..."_

Xander himself flinched when he saw the terrorist wipe the blood on Willow's pant leg. _"You can wear his blood. Call it his last parting gift to you."_

The Knife left the room roaring in laughter and Willow cried out Xander's name.

It was too much for him...and it was the last straw.

_______ _______ _______

"Sorry I took so long," Buffy said as she entered the kitchen. "My Mom just loves to get chatty on the..." She stopped when she realized no one was in the kitchen. "Xander?"

She stepped into the living room and there was no sign of him anywhere. The television set was on, however, and the screen displayed snow. Not real snow, but the screen showed black and white scribbles, and there was the sound of static coming from the TV. Buffy did not believe this was a good sign.

She picked up the remote and rewound the tape. She stopped and played it at a scene where the Knife had convinced Willow that he had killed Xander.

Buffy worst fears were realized. The terrorists had Willow, and now Xander was gone.

"I've lost them both."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	8. The Tower

Barrington, Mulder, Scully, and Fronk had watched the tape Buffy had found early that morning. It was the tape the others had already viewed at the library. For those who had watched it once, they-Giles, Jenny, and Lenox-watched it a second time and it was not any easier to watch than before. In fact, it was harder. But it was necessary. They were trying to look for clues as to where the tape was recorded from.

"My God, that poor child!" Scully finally managed to exclaim after she witnessed what Willow was made to suffer through.

"The _child's_ name is Willow," Giles retorted, somewhat defensively. For some reason he couldn't explain, he had found Scully's comment distasteful. "And-and it has been my experience to-to be able to watch Willow grow as a most resourceful member of...of the Slayerette's, as she calls us. I strongly believe she will come out of this in one piece..." He suddenly frowned. "I-I just don't know how this is going to be accomplished exactly."

Jenny put her hand on his back reassuringly. Giles wasn't good at expressing his true feelings for those he cared about, unless there was extreme pressure put upon him. It was evidently clear he was afraid for Willow. They all were.

"That has to be some kind of factory," Barrington replied as he had the tape paused at the scene where two terrorists were banging on large barrels. "Look at those drums. They seem old and rusted through in spots."

Fronk raised an eyebrow, imitating Spock. "Fascinating!"

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "Factories make great hiding places if you're looking for a place to hide. I saw three of them on my way into town. One of them seemed occupied, but the other two looked barren."

"Then we should check those other two factories out," Lenox replied. He turned to Giles. "Are there any other factories around Sunnydale?"

Giles glanced at Jenny, thinking about the layout of the town in his mind. He could recall all of the displays and schematics that amazing Willow was able to get onto the computer, and they had always been extremely detailed. "I-I believe the three factories that Agent Mulder refers to are right at the borders of Sunnydale. Er, one of them indeed is occupied and there are quite a bit of people whom have jobs there. We can definitely count that one out. The other two are somewhat empty, however, one of them is presently occupied by...shall we say troublesome people." He shook his head. "Trust me, we do not want to disturb them." He didn't want to mention vampires because he didn't want to discuss that particular topic with Mulder and Scully.

Mulder regarded him. "There shouldn't be one stone unturned."

"Well...a gang of a sort has moved in and-and taken up residence there since the beginning of the year, Mr. Mulder. They have made it very clear they do not want any visitors." He was thinking of Spike and Druscilla, and any of their minions who now resided there at the old factory.

Scully glanced at Mulder. "What about the third factory?"

"That might actually be our best place to begin our search. However, I must point out that on the other side of town there is an old abandoned quarry. It is approximately five miles, perhaps more, out of town. It has been deserted for twenty years or so."

"Why is that?" Barrington asked.

"Well...er, there had been some kind of explosion and-and a poisonous gas had spread throughout the quarry. The gas had been so deadly that it had actually killed most of the workers almost instantaneously." He looked at Barrington. "It has been condemned since then, and certainly by now, it is most unsafe. I-I find it highly unlikely the terrorists would be there."

Lenox opened his mouth to say something, but the door opened and in walked Buffy, Cordelia, and Staci. They appeared to be agitated.

And Xander was not with them.

"He's gone!" Buffy exclaimed. "He-he must have left when he saw this!" She held up another tape.

Barrington took it and switched tapes with the VCR.

"I was talking with my Mom on the phone, and Xander must have been watching that tape! When I returned to get him, the television was on, but he was gone." Buffy turned to Giles. "I just knew he was going to do something stupid! Giles, he's going to get himself killed!"

"Buffy, we will go after him," Giles said reassuringly.

Cordelia looked at Mulder and Scully with a puzzled look. She also took in Barrington and Fronk. "Hey...who are these guys? The A-Team?"

Lenox introduced his partners, and Barrington introduced Mulder and Scully.

Buffy leaned close to Giles and pointed at Mulder and Scully. "Do they know about...?" she trailed off and looked at the Watcher questioningly.

Giles shook his head. "No, Buffy. Of course not."

But Mulder moved toward them with a knowing grin. "Actually, Giles, I do know. Only at first, I was thinking it was Willow because they kidnapped her." He looked at Buffy closely. "But you're the one they want."

Buffy tried to look blank. "Me? Why would you think the terrorists would want me?"

Mulder grinned. "It's on the tape, Buffy. But even if it wasn't, I could figure it out." He paused for affect. "You're the Slayer, aren't you?"

Buffy's mouth dropped open.

Scully shook her head and raised her arms in supplication. "Mulder..."

Mulder ignored her. He kept his attention focused on Buffy. _"'Into each generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to fight the vampires-'"_

Scully tossed up her hands. "Not the vampires again, Mulder!"

_"'-to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers.'"_

Buffy regarded Mulder for a moment, and then she turned to Giles. "Can't secrets still be secrets any more? Wa-was I-I on Oprah sleepwalking or something, because how is it I keep running into people who know who I am?"

"Don't take him seriously," Scully told Buffy. "Agent Mulder has a lot of theories. I don't know why he believes you're some kind of vampire hunter, but it's clear to me this isn't about vampires." She looked sternly at Mulder. "It's about terrorists."

Mulder nodded. "I agree with that, Scully. But somehow, these terrorists have discovered what Buffy is and they've also discovered that the Hellmouth is real. Don't you see? They want to open the Hellmouth and destroy the world!"

"Mulder! We don't have time for this! There is an innocent child out there suffering at the hands of terrorists!"

Giles frowned. "That _child_ has a name."

The agents either ignored him or they didn't hear him so intent were they on each other.

"No, we don't have time," Mulder snapped back at Scully. "And just once, I'd like for you to put away your damn science and your close-minded disbelief and open up your eyes." He pointed at Buffy. "For every vampire in this world, there is a Slayer. There is a Slayer Code, Scully. Do you want to hear it?"

"No!" Scully exclaimed.

"Too bad. That code is this...Destroy all vampires with the obligatory aid of super strength, fighting ability and an acute and intense gift of timing. Think of it as being bitten by a radioactive spider minus the leotard."

Scully shook her head. "Mulder--"

"It's not only vampires, Scully, that a Slayer has chosen the responsibility to annihilate. They also have to time-out demons, monsters and just about every other kind of nasty that can come to mind. And when a Slayer times a monster out, it doesn't involve making them stand in a corner. Usually the end result is a heinously bloody slaughter, sometimes accompanied by one of today's hottest bands." He looked at Buffy. "Am I right?"

"Uh..." Buffy shrugged. "Yeah...I guess."

Mulder fixed his gaze on Scully. "With the aid of a Watcher--who I am certain is Mr. Giles who trains and looks out for Buffy--these superhuman do-gooders have been mostly known to lurk in the shadows alone, following their prey...the blood-sucking undead."

Scully rolled her eyes. "Mulder...enough already. That little girl--"

"Wait, Scully, there's more." He turned to look at Buffy. "Because as you can imagine," he said to Scully, "these heroes have an unhealthy expiration date...most don't live to see past 20."

Buffy let out a sigh. "Thanks for that little tidbit. That was something I really _didn't_ want to hear."

"Sorry."

Scully was disgusted. "Mulder...sometimes you are just too much."

Mulder shrugged. "Maybe for you, I am too much, Scully. But I do have one more thing to say to you."

"What's that, Mulder?"

"The _child's_ name is Willow." He let out a sigh. "Why don't we look at the other tape now? Maybe there'll be something on it to help us find Willow."

Giles suddenly had a thought. "Wait a moment! This new tape..." He looked at Buffy. "You say that Xander watched it?"

Buffy nodded. "Why?"

"Per-perhaps Xander saw something on it that may have suggested to him where the terrorists were holding Willow." He looked at Staci, Cordelia, and Buffy. "Did any of you watch this tape?"

Barrington had the tape playing on the VCR and the Knife was beginning his tirade.

Staci nodded once. "We saw it."

Giles looked at Buffy. "Think, Buffy. Was there anything you saw tha-that might have prompted Xander to leave?"

Buffy was frustrated. "God! I...I don't know, Giles! All I saw was Willow and that terrorist!" She sighed as she tried to think about the tape. "It-it was almost like watching the first one."

"Except in this tape, Willow actually looked like she was sleeping,"

Cordelia replied. "She was even talking in her sleep."

Everyone looked at her.

Staci nodded her head. "Yes. That's right. Willow was talking in her sleep."

"What was she saying?" Mulder asked.

"She was repeating Xander's name..." Staci looked at Buffy and Cordelia as if to receive confirmation. "And she said something about a dragon."

Jenny frowned. "A dragon?"

"What could Willow have meant by that?" Giles asked, deep in thought.

Staci shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well," Cordelia began, "I just think Willow was having a nice dream because she was talking in her sleep about being rescued from a dragon by a knight." She paused in thought. "I think there was something about a tower."

Buffy froze. "Oh, God! Xander told me something about a tower. There was a tower he and Willow had climbed on when they were kids!"

Lenox turned to Giles. He had been listening in on them. "What about it, Giles? Does any one of those factories we've already discussed have a tower of some kind?"

Giles shook his head. "No, Mr. Lenox...they do not." He took off his glasses and looked at Lenox with fierce determination. "But the quarry does."

_______ _______ _______

Willow had decided she had enough suffering.

Xander's death had been the last straw.

She withdrew deep within herself, so far, in fact that she did not even hear any of the loud racket her enemies continued to cause. She closed her eyes and thought of Xander, knowing he was surely in heaven and that he was waiting for her.

The door to her cell slammed open and in walked both Jhamel and Julius.

Jhamel had a tray with a bottle of water and a few pieces of stale bread. He put it down onto the bed beside her.

"You must eat," he ordered. "Drink."

She did so, but automatically. They watched her until the bread was gone and the water as well. When she was done, she looked helplessly at the floor. "I...I have to go."

Julius scowled at her. "You are not going anywhere!"

Jhamel looked at him. "She means she has to use the toilet, Rueben." He untied the rope from the headboard, but he kept her wrists bound together. He tugged on the rope and she followed them out of her cell.

She was led to a small bathroom, which was across a huge open area. There were three terrorists spreading out weapons on a table, but she barely noticed. Once in the bathroom, they closed the door and left her alone. However, they had given her orders not to lock the door.

She looked around the bathroom.

There was a toilet, a sink, and a mirror. But that was all. There was nothing she could use to take her own life. If she attempted to break the mirror, they would be in to stop her in seconds. She bowed her head and cried softly for a moment...and when she raised her head, she saw something behind the toilet. It was a hole in the wall...and it was just big enough for her to crawl into.

_______ _______ _______

_"Open the door!!"_ Julius demanded angrily.

From the table of weaponry, Jhamel turned his head to look at his right hand man, expecting the girl to immediately obey. After all, to disobey would only incur his wrath. Surely she did not want that.

But the door did not open.

Furious, Julius swung the door open and stormed in. Willow, however, was nowhere in sight. Julius scowled as he looked around in confusion. Then he looked at the toilet. He was standing there, looking into it when Jhamel entered.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

Julius did not answer. Because in his rage, he wrapped his arms around the base of the toilet and tore it loose from the floor. He then flung the toilet and hit the wall, breaking the mirror. Then it crashed to the floor. Having tossed the toilet aside, Julius glared at the small hole in the corner where it had been behind the toilet. Two other terrorists came in behind Jhamel as Julius tore at the wall near the hole. Suddenly, he broke through the wall and stepped out into the sunlight. He was just outside the warehouse now and looked furiously around the quarry...until he saw Willow.

The girl was climbing up the tower and she was already more than half way up it.

Jhamel saw this and he called an alarm. He barked out orders to his men. Soon, nine terrorists were gathered around at the bottom of the tower, and one of them was about to climb it. Jhamel cursed himself, knowing that the man would never reach her in time.

She was at the very top, standing precariously at the ledge.

The wind caused her hair to sway about her face, and for one precious moment, she enjoyed the caress of the wind as she resolved in her heart what she was about to do. She was going to be with him and no one was going to stop her.

"Xander..." she whispered. She closed her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you so much."

_"Willow!!"_

Willow opened her eyes. Far below, she saw a boy running toward the tower. She blinked. No...not a boy. A young hero!

"Xander?" she whispered to herself in wonder.

Xander ran as fast as he could and he carried with him a very big stick. Julius got right in his path fully believing he would intimidate the foolish hero-wanna-be. He was wrong. Like a baseball bat, Xander swung and connected the stick to Julius' head. The terrorist staggered and fell to one knee.

Xander stopped in front of him. "This one's for Will, you son-of-a-bitch!"

He hit him again and the stick broke as Julius fell. Xander dropped the remains of the stick and ran past the terrorist. As he began to make the climb up the tower, Julius whipped out his knife and got to his feet. His face was red with rage as he began to give chase.

"Rueben!" Jhamel shouted. "Stop!!"

Julius did, but he was not happy with the order. He glared at Jhamel.

Jhamel approached him. "Let him get to the girl and when he brings her down, you may hurt him." He held up a warning finger. "But we need them both alive."

Julius glared up at the tower.

On the precarious ledge, Willow's eyes were fixed on Xander. She still couldn't make up her mind if this was a dream or if it was a twisted trick the terrorists were playing on her...or if it truly were Xander. Xander made it to the ledge and he grabbed her and pulled her close to him.

"Xander...?" Willow raised her bound hands to touch his face. Her eyes looked into his, her eyes looked at his mouth, his chin...his face. "Oh, please tell me...Is-is it really you?"

Xander nodded his head as held her to him. "Yes, Will. It's really me." He looked into her eyes. "He didn't kill me. That blood was...it was probably blood from a rat or something, Will...But it wasn't mine."

"You-you're alive..." She put her head on his shoulder and cried.

He hugged her tight. "I won't let you go, Will. I promise you...I will never let you go."

 _"Xander!!"_ Jhamel shouted from below. _"You will bring her down now! Or we will come up and get you both!"_

Xander glared down at the terrorists. Where else could they possibly go but down? They had no choice. They had to climb back down into the waiting hands of the enemy.

Suddenly, his eyes spotted something. Below, standing next to what appeared to be a boarded-up hole in the ground was a man. For some reason he couldn't explain, Xander knew the man wasn't a terrorist. Actually, the man looked a lot like Christopher Walken...Xander frowned. He then noticed there was a rope hanging above the boarded-up hole and that rope went all the way up to the top of the tower, hanging from a pulley.

Xander looked toward the hole again, but the man was no longer there.

"No way," he said to himself as a crazy idea struck him.

He looked down at the terrorists. _"We're coming down!"_ he shouted. Then he took Willow's face in his hands. "Will...I'm taking you away from here...at least I hope this works. But no matter what we do in the next minute or so, you have to trust me."

She looked into his eyes. "I trust you, Xander. I-I'm okay...as long as I'm with you."

He took her arms and made her loop them around his head. He promised to untie them as soon as he could. "You just hang onto me," he told her.

She nodded.

"Will..."

She looked at him. "What, Xander?"

He paused. "Trust me...you might want to close your eyes for this."

"Okay..." She closed her eyes.

Xander picked her up and then he leaped from the ledge. Below, the terrorists watched in complete astonishment. Jhamel's mouth dropped open.

Xander grabbed the rope and like a rocket, he and Willow were falling fast. They fell through the boards that had covered the hole in the ground and disappeared from sight.

Julius roared in anger. Then before anyone could stop him, he ran for the hole and dove in after Xander and Willow, his prey. He intended to make certain they never left that hole alive.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	9. Puffer Fish

The Hunters were on the move. Lenox, Barrington, and Staci were on their way to the Sunnydale Airport with Buffy Summers accompanying them. A helicopter was there, waiting for them. The Hunters pilots, Keith "Ace" LeBeau and Kevin "Birdman" Vogel were preparing the chopper for flight as they arrived.

Mulder, Scully, and Giles were riding in Scully's rental. Mulder had suggested to the Hunters that he, Scully, and Giles could provide a distraction for the terrorists, which could help the Hunters make their move.

Jenny and Cordelia stayed at the Rosenberg home with Fronk, who was pulling up vital information from the bowels of the computer. Jenny was watching the second tape...and she realized there was something on it that every one else had missed. What became apparent to her was that the terrorist who had made the recording abruptly ended the tape. A series of snow and static commenced, but as Jenny went to stop the tape she pressed fast-forward instead. The tape quickly moved ahead to a scene the others had missed. This scene had been added in.

In the scene, the Knife was standing behind a table. There were candles lit and spread out. The terrorist was speaking in his own language, and Jenny got the strangest impression the man was performing some kind of ceremony...or ritual.

"Guys?" Jenny called. "Cordelia! Mr. Fronk! Come and see this!"

Fronk and Cordelia came out into the living room. Fronk was adjusting his head set as he spoke into the microphone. "Testing...testing...May day...May day..." He blew into the mike.

 _"Yeow!"_ Barrington's voice exclaimed. _"Crazy Man, what the hell are you doing?"_

"Blowing you a kiss, big daddy!" Fronk was looking at the television screen. The terrorist was holding some kind of ceremonial jar in front of him. "Whoa! Puffer fish on TV!!"

 _"What?"_ Barrington asked.

"Puffer fish! Them there slimy critters that live in the sea with Charlie Tuna! They puff themselves out to make themselves bigger but everybody knows it's just fer show!" He squinted at the TV. "Apparently, the Calendar girl found another scene on the tape. It's that Knife guy...and he's puffing out his chest, man! Hey, can Knox do that?"

There was a pause. Barrington could be heard saying something to Lenox. Then Barrington's voice came over Fronk's headset. _"Knox says he isn't the Puff-Man, Bill. What are you watching?"_

"Sh-yucks, girls!" Fronk exclaimed as he grinned at Jenny and Cordelia. "Daddy wants to know what we're watching. And he says if it's-a got-a any nudity in it, we're-a gonna get us a spanking fer shore."

Cordelia shot him a look. "Hello? Get out much? Pervert!"

Jenny had her eyes glued to the screen. She was watching everything intently. "Tell him that it looks like the terrorist is performing some kind of ritual. But he's speaking in a different tongue...I don't understand what he's saying." She watched the Knife place the ceremonial jar onto the center of the table, and he did it reverently. "God, I don't like this. I wish Rupert were here. I'm certain he would know what this is about."

Cordelia looked at Jenny with concern. "Huh? This thing that the terrorist is doing...This is bad?"

Jenny looked at her. "Yes, Cordelia. This is bad."

"But...but it's just a terrorist thing, right? Maybe it's some kind of thing they do for their religion."

"Cordelia, this has nothing to do with religion. And I'm almost positive it has nothing to do with terrorists either." She looked at the Knife on the screen. "I think it's something this man is doing for himself." She glanced at Fronk. "Tell Albert he needs to tell Buffy what we're seeing. Maybe this will sound familiar to her. She's been with Rupert enough to pick up on a few things."

Fronk relayed the message.

Jenny returned her attention to the screen. The terrorist was pouring something into the jar from a basin.

Cordelia stared in horror as she literally became pale. "Oh, God...Is that...That looks like blood!"

Jenny couldn't take her eyes away. "It is," she said hoarsely.

"What...what's he doing with blood? And-and not that I really want to know, but...who's blood is that?" As soon as she said it, there was only one person she could think of to whom the blood belonged. She brought a hand to her mouth. "Oh, no...Willow."

Fronk was relaying what he saw and heard to Barrington, and this time, he didn't crack any witticisms. He had his eyes on the screen as well. Barrington's voice came to him from the headset. _"Bill, Buffy needs to know what he's doing with the blood."_

Fronk didn't answer.

_"Bill!"_

Finally, Fronk responded, "The son-of-a-bitch is drinking it, Bear. He's drinking the blood from the ceremonial jar."

They watched the tape in silence as Julius held the jar to his mouth and drank from it. When he was done, he set the jar down and looked right into the camera lens. He spoke in his tongue. Then he lapsed into silence. He continued to glare at the camera.

"I'm getting goose bumps," Cordelia whispered. "It's like he's looking right at us."

Jenny nodded in agreement, but she didn't say anything.

"He-he can't really see us, can he?" Cordelia asked, glancing nervously at Jenny.

Suddenly, the terrorist spoke. And he spoke in English this time. _"Do not be deceived. You believe you are safe? I tell you...you are not safe! You believe you are secure? You are weak!! And you will suffer great and terrible things, for this is only the beginning! Go to your homes and lock your doors. Run as far as you can...and run further still! But the end is near and there is nowhere you can hide. Soon, the dead shall rise up and will destroy the living. Creatures of the night shall heed the Call."_ He paused as he raised his hands before him. _"The Sleeper shall waken within. The Heir shall come, leading them all to glorious reckoning! Leading them all to the destruction of the earth!"_ He pointed at the camera. _"Think upon that and be dismayed! Your days are numbered!"_

Then the tape ended.

Jenny looked at Fronk who had been repeating what he had heard to Barrington. "Did you get all that?" he asked Barrington.

 _"Yeah, I got all that."_ Barrington paused. _"I don't know what it means, but...Is that all?"_

Fronk nodded. "No. I managed to get their profiles and most of it we had already guessed on our own. But we do have confirmation. The Speaker is one Abhar Jhamel. The Knife is his right hand man and his sorry ass is named Reuben Julius." He paused for affect. "In case you didn't know, this Julius is evidently a freakin' basket case."

_"Yeah...thanks."_

_______ _______ _______

Giles had chosen to ride with Mulder and Scully only because he hadn't really had a desire to ride in a helicopter. A plane was one thing to be riding in, but he didn't trust choppers. They just weren't to his liking at all. However, with Mulder's erratic driving skill, Giles realized too late the error he had just made.

"Mulder, slow down!" Scully shouted.

"C'mon, Scully!" Mulder grinned at her. He winked at Giles in the rearview mirror, but the Watcher didn't really notice because he was too busy trying not to be sick. "Live a little, girlfriend! Have some fun!"

"I'm not here for fun, Mulder! We're on a case!"

Mulder shrugged. "You're on a case, Scully. I'm on vacation. And on vacation, you're supposed to have fun."

Giles cleared his throat from the back seat as he tried to get their attention. "Er, excuse me, Mr. Mulder..."

"Yeah?" Mulder glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "You're not going to hurl, are you?"

Scully looked at him and raised her eyebrows. "'Hurl', Mulder?"

Giles shook his head. "I-I intend to do no such thing...in spite of your d- driving skills...or lack thereof." He let out a sigh. "I would really like to know, however, just what it is you plan to do to distract the terrorists."

Mulder grinned. "That's easy."

He pulled into a parking lot of a convenience store and before anyone could say anything, he was out of the car. He went into the store and was only inside for five minutes or so. He came out carrying a brown paper bag. He got into the car, put the bag in-between himself and Scully, and then he reached inside to pull out a cold can of Bud. Grinning like a madman, he popped the tab and took a swig.

Scully stared at him incredulously. "Mulder! What the hell are you doing?"

"Distracting," he answered. He took another mouth full, tilted his head back and began to gargle the beer in his throat. Then he swallowed and grinned once again at Scully. He poured a bit of beer into his hand and handed the can to Scully who took it reluctantly. Slapping his hands together, he rubbed them. Then he splashed the beer about his face, neck, and shirt.

Giles looked at Scully dubiously. "Er...I-I don't think I really approve of Mr. Mulder's plan."

Scully frowned at Mulder. "What are you doing?"

He reached over and before she could stop him, he unbuttoned the top button of her blouse.

 _"Mulder!"_ She slapped at his hands.

"C'mon, Scully! Look a little loose, will you?" He took the beer from her, put more in his hands and then flicked it at her. "We're going to distract the terrorists with a little trip to Lovers Lane, if you know what I mean." He pointed at her. "Do you get wild, Scully? I want to see your wild side. So it would be very convincing if you would undo a few more buttons." He grinned.

"Excuse me..." Giles began, frowning, "but how convincing do you think your _Lovers Lane_ distraction will look with a third person in the back seat? Two is company, after all...Even terrorists must know that."

Mulder turned to look at him. "What, you're not into threesomes?"

Giles blinked. He had no response for that at all.

Mulder grinned. "It's okay. I have an idea about that."

"You-you have?" Giles frowned. "And what's that?"

"You won't exactly be in the back seat." Mulder paused. "You'll be in the trunk."

Giles stared at him as if he were mad. "I was right...I don't approve of this plan at all."

_______ _______ _______

"I do _not_ like this," Buffy said with a quiver in her voice. "It sounds like...it sounds like Xander will get there ahead of all of us...But he'll only find..." She closed her eyes and turned her head. She couldn't bring herself to say it. Just thinking about it made her sick to her stomach.

Barrington shook his head as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Buffy...We don't really know that it was Willow's blood the terrorist was drinking."

She spun her head around to face him. "How do we know it wasn't?!"

They were in the chopper and the pilots were running a last check before they lifted off from the lot.

"We're not going to know until we get there," Lenox commented as he loaded a clip into an Uzi. "You can't afford to think about it right now, Buffy. It will only distract you once we hit the ground and the bullets begin to fly."

Staci glanced at Lenox with concern. She knew him well enough to know he was just as concerned for Willow as they all were. But at that moment, he suddenly seemed insensitive to Buffy. Staci saw the look of shock on Buffy's face and then she saw the anger.

Buffy glared at Lenox. "I can't afford to think about it?!" she snapped. "Willow's my friend! If anything happens to her, and I mean _anything_ , I will hunt down every one of those bastards myself and I will kill every one of them!"

"They're not vampires, Buffy," Lenox replied calmly.

Buffy glared at him.

"They don't think like vampires," he continued. "They don't act like vampires. They're really a lot worst when you think about it. Whether the sun is shining, or the moon is out, they're there. Terrorism is the worst threat to mankind on this planet. Terrorists train their children to wear bombs and send them off to school. They kidnap innocent people, brainwash them to wear bombs, and send them out to go shopping. You can't reason with them, and you can't invite them over for a spot of tea or a cup of joe to sort things out." He regarded Buffy closely. "That's where we come in."

She hesitated, "The Hunters."

He nodded. "Yes. The bottom line is terrorism is a disease...and we are the cure."

"That's what you do? You hunt terrorists down and you..." she trailed off as she was looking for a word.

"We slay them." Lenox paused. "Not exactly the way you slay vampires, but we get the job done."

She thought about that. "How long have you guys been doing this?"

Barrington shrugged. "About nine years."

Buffy frowned. She wondered what she would be doing in nine years. Would she be the Slayer then...or the Slayee?

Lenox hesitated as he cast a glance in Staci's direction. "Buffy...I don't know Willow as well as you do. I don't know her as well as my wife knows her. But I do care for her and I will do everything in my power to bring her home." Then he said, "However, even when we do get her back alive and well, I'm still going to kill every one of those bastards. Okay?"

She smiled wryly. "Okay." She watched as Barrington checked his weapons over. "Do I get a gun?"

"Have you fired one before?" Barrington asked.

She shrugged. "Does a crossbow count?"

Barrington handed her a 9mm pistol and showed her how to work it.

"Don't I get a big gun?" she asked.

"No. You'll be fine with this. Besides, you are not really going down there for combat." Barrington aimed a thumb at Lenox. "You'll stay right behind Knox and keep your head down. He'll lead you into the building where we believe they're holding Willow, and when you get to her, your job is to help her out."

She nodded. "Okay...What about Xander?"

"We'll keep a watch for him," Staci assured her.

Buffy nodded and she took a deep breath as she felt the chopper lift off. "I've never ridden in one of these things before. They're safe, aren't they?" She laughed nervously. "Of course, they're safe. You use them all the time." She looked around. "Don't you have any really big guns? The kind that fires missiles and rockets?"

Lenox nodded his head. "We do, but we can't use them."

"Why not?"

"We don't want to risk blowing up Willow."

"Oh." Buffy nodded her head. "Right. Oh...I think I'll just shut up now." 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	10. Lair Of The Speaker

Abhar Jhamel the Speaker was utterly speechless. He had not expected such a foolhardy, yet daring rescue from an American teenager. An American boy with raging hormones, no less! And yet what had surprised him the most was when his most trusted warrior abandoned his duty to chase after the foolish American teenagers. Jhamel ran up to the hole where his hostages had disappeared into and he glared down it in a vain attempt to see them.

Why _had Rueben gone after them?!_ he asked himself angrily.

He was more than certain they had all fallen to their deaths. They had fallen through the loose covering and they would have continued to fall from the rope as it had pulled taught. The worst of it was that Rueben Julius would die in vain with them. This enraged Jhamel for the stupidity of his right hand man, so he grabbed a hold of the rope and he cut it.

The rope disappeared into the hole.

He screamed into the hole, _"Infidels! Fools!",_ He glared as if expecting a response. _"You could have died honorably, my brother! Now you die with no glory!"_

One of his men ran up to him and grabbed him on the shoulder to get his attention. Jhamel spun around and punched the man in the jaw. The man fell, dropping his AK-47, and lay on his back looking up at Jhamel.

"What is it?!" Jhamel demanded.

Rubbing his jaw, the man pointed.

Jhamel turned his head. There he saw a car driving toward them. "What the hell...?" He was about to order his men to open fire when he noticed that the car was swerving about. He brought his hand up to shade the sun from his eyes and he could make out two passengers in the car. A man, and a woman. And the man, he was certain, was drunk.

In the car, Mulder was singing a little diddy.

_"'Oh, bring me a home where those buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play...'"_

Scully glanced over at him as he continued with another verse.

_"...'and I'll give you a knee it would bring me much glee in the crotch just to ma-ake you pay...'"_

Suddenly, he swerved the car into a wall and stepped on the accelerator. The car went through the wall of the old shed and it came crashing down around them. Giles was in the trunk and he had been trying to keep the trunk from closing all the way. However, when the car went through the shed, a part of it slammed the trunk shut and locked him inside.

Giles let out a weary sigh. "Oh, isn't that just lovely?"

Three terrorists were leveling their weapons at the car from behind it as they approached. Mulder saw them coming and threw his arms around Scully. "Kiss me, baby! Gotta make this look good."

Before Scully could respond, he pressed his lips to hers. She was staring at him with her eyes wide open as they kissed.

One of the terrorists happened to see what they were doing, and turned to his companions, laughing. In his native tongue, he told them all what he saw. Jhamel was heading for them, and he didn't look amused.

"Get out of the way!" Jhamel shouted. He passed them and moved toward the car. As he got close, he was able to see into the car through the back window. The closer he got, the slower he walked. Finally, he stopped. The car door was open and there was no one there. He shouted out orders, and his men spread out to look for the two "lovebirds".

On the other side of the quarry, a helicopter was keeping behind the high structures.

Vogel was talking into his headset. "Bear! We don't think they've spotted us, so we're going to get low enough for you to bail!"

"They don't hear us coming?" Barrington asked.

LeBeau snarled and shook his head. "Nah. With these old structures about, and most of them being empty, our rotors will be muffled. Our only way of being discovered right now is if somebody sees us."

"Or smells us, in your case," Vogel told him.

LeBeau shot a look at him. "You wanna fly...without the chopper?!"

Vogel grinned. "Bear...time to go. We're setting down!"

Barrington looked at Staci, Lenox, and Buffy. "Saddle up! Lock and load!"

Lenox opened the door and jumped out. The others followed behind him and it was then that Buffy noticed Staci wasn't carrying a gun. When they were all on the ground, Buffy stayed low and followed behind Lenox. Barrington and Staci had gone off in the other direction. They headed for the terrorists and when the enemy was in their sights, they opened fire. Barrington fired from one angle, and Lenox from another angle. Three terrorists who were caught out in the open from the unexpected ambush danced as the bullets tore into them. As their bodies hit the ground, two other terrorists ran into one of the many structures. Barrington went in after them with Staci following behind.

Lenox and Buffy would have gone in after them, but Lenox just happened to see Jhamel. Jhamel took one look at him, then he turned and ran. He was heading for a warehouse.

"That's got to be their lair!" Lenox exclaimed to Buffy. "Willow's bound to be in there. Stay close! We're going in!"

They broke into a run and headed for the warehouse. Buffy held her gun leveled at the ground, but she held it awkwardly. She was not used to carrying a gun and it felt oddly out of place for her.

Just as Lenox went inside the warehouse, a terrorist came out of hiding and grabbed Buffy in a bear hug from behind, causing her to drop her gun. He began to drag her out into the dirt road, but suddenly she rammed the back of her head into his face. Stunned, he let go of her and stepped back. She spun around and kicked the side of his face. He fell back into a pole and leaned on it for support.

He looked up and Buffy was spinning around once more, intending to kick him again. Without warning, he caught her leg and pushed her off balance. She fell backward, but turned her fall into a roll and was back on her feet in an instant. However, the terrorist had grabbed a chain and threw one end of it with deadly accuracy. The end of the chain wrapped around her throat, then he used the pole to vault himself over a low beam. Using his weight, Buffy found herself hanging inches from the ground.

Meanwhile, in the trunk of the car, which was behind the terrorist, Giles had finally managed to break open the trunk. He was also in time to see what was happening to his Slayer. He climbed out of the trunk, walked over to the terrorist, and tapped him on the shoulder.

Startled, the man turned his head and looked at Giles.

"Do you like tire irons?" Giles asked him. Then he struck the man full in the face with a tire iron. "I happen to like them very much."

The men fell unconscious to the ground, releasing his hold on the chain.

Buffy collapsed to the ground herself and Giles hurried to her side to help her get the chain off from around her neck. She was gasping for breath. "God, I...I didn't...see that...coming..."

He helped her to her feet. "Have no fear, Buffy. I am already designing a method with terrorists in mind for your next training session."

"Great!" Buffy said with a false smile. "Something to look forward to...like having my fingernails removed."

He looked at her with a puzzled frown. "Er...I'm sorry, b-but what...?"

"Forget it."

Mulder and Scully ran up to them from around the shed. Buffy saw them and waved them forward. "C'mon!" she exclaimed. "Lenox ran inside after Jhamel!"

They all headed for the warehouse.

_______ _______ _______

Lenox saw Jhamel just as he entered the building. The Speaker had run up to a table and snatched up something that had looked like a thermostat. Lenox leveled his Uzi and was about to fire when something hard slammed into his back. He fell to the ground, dropped his weapon, and rolled onto his back in an attempt to see what had struck him. A terrorist was holding up a two-by-four over his head, preparing to bring it down again to strike at his enemy.

Lenox would have laughed at that moment if the danger hadn't been real.

The man had hit him with a rotten piece of wood, only he didn't know it was rotten. The two-by-four had broken apart as it had struck Lenox, and the piece that remained in the terrorist's hands was too small to be any threat if he swung it down as he intended to do. But because the raving terrorist loony was holding it far above his head, he hadn't noticed that it was broken.

So Lenox simply waited.

The man swung his arms down, fully expecting to hit Lenox, but unfortunately, he swung too fast and too hard. As his arms came down, he did not see the two-by-four he had seen before when he had first picked it up. In astonishment, he wound up not striking Lenox his enemy, but he ended up striking himself right between the legs. He howled in agony as he fell to his knees. Lenox calmly got to his feet and then he introduced his foot into the mans face. The man fell unconscious to the ground.

Lenox turned around and glared at his surroundings.

Abhar Jhamel was nowhere in sight.

_______ _______ _______

It was a small structure, and Barrington was certain Willow was not in it. The two terrorists he had chased inside, however, were in hiding. Suddenly, they opened fire on him from above. He ran and dove behind a tractor. They fired at him and yelled obscenities in their native tongue, but they soon realized that they couldn't hit him. So they were simply content to yell at him and wait for their compatriots to come to their aid. While they waited, Barrington looked frantically around for Staci, but he couldn't see her anywhere. He couldn't call for her either for then the terrorists would know where she was and they might be able to be in a position to hit her.

If anything ever happened to her, Lenox would kill him for certain.

Suddenly, he had an idea.

He climbed into the tractor and hot-wired it. He wasn't certain how the thing's engine actually turned over, but the sound of the engine roaring to life was like music in his ears. As he revved the tractor up and brought up the heavy shovel to protect him like a shield, the terrorists up on the balcony above him looked down and they began to worry.

Their worry was short-lived, however. Barrington simply drove the tractor directly beneath them. The tractor knocked down the beams that held up the balcony, and continued on through the wall. The entire structure came crashing down. He hadn't expected that but he realized that the structures were old and unsafe. He stopped the tractor, climbed out and looked at the mess he had made. If the terrorists were still alive, it would definitely take some time to dig them out.

He had to find Staci before he did anything else. He left the tractor behind and found himself moving toward the tower at the center of the quarry. He found Staci standing beside a large hole in the ground, and she was looking into it.

He approached her. "What is it, Staci?"

Staci looked at him and there was hope in her eyes. "They're in there, Al."

"Who is?"

"Willow and Xander! They're both down there somewhere...But so is Julius, the Knife."

Barrington moved carefully to the edge and he looked down into the hole. He could see only as far as the sun would allow. Then there was a dark hole that seemed to go on forever. But something was wrong. He could feel it and it gave him goose bumps.

He looked at Staci. "Do you feel that?"

She nodded her head, her eyes wide with fear. "I do..." she said. "I feel it." She looked at Barrington with concern. "It's...it's evil that I feel."

Barrington regarded her. "Staci, how do you know Xander and Willow are down there?"

"Jeremiah told me."

"Who's Jeremiah?"

"Well, he's right over--" She stopped as she pointed at...no one. She frowned. "He was...he was just there...Before you came over."

Barrington hesitated. "Look...I know that you have something going on...Some ability that we can't understand...But if you say that they're down there, then I believe you."

She nodded. "So what do we do now?"

He looked down the hole. "Go in after them."

_______ _______ _______

Lenox, Buffy, Giles, Mulder, and Scully went through the warehouse. They found the cell that had been Willow's but she wasn't in it. Their search did not turn up either Willow, Jhamel, or Julius. But it did turn up a room in which had been on the tape they were told about by Jenny and Fronk. It was the room where Julius had been drinking blood.

Buffy was telling Giles about it as he looked at the ceremonial jar.

"That's all of what Mr. Fronk had told Barrington over that radio thingy over his head, Giles. This Julius guy was performing some kind of a ritual! And he said something about an Heir that was coming to lead the dead to glory!" She paused. "Does that sound familiar to you?"

Giles picked up the ceremonial jar and frowned in concentration. He was thinking about the volumes of books he had at the library, most of which he had memorized. Was there some prophecy that told of this ritual the terrorist had been performing? "Er...Heir, you say?"

"Well...I didn't say. That Crazy Man guy did."

"What are you thinking, Giles?" Mulder asked as he and Scully moved toward him. "Do you think this is some kind of prophecy coming to life?"

Giles nodded grimly. "Th-that is precisely what I am thinking, Mr. Mulder."

"Willow is nowhere to be found," Lenox growled. "I would not want to think otherwise, Giles...but do you think this blood was hers?"

Buffy held her breath in fear for her friend.

Giles slowly shook his head. "No," he said softly. "This blood is not Willow's."

Buffy was relieved, but she also recognized the sudden countenance of the Watcher. That far away look in his eyes, the slow motions, the soft tone. When he acted in this way, Buffy began to worry. The room itself got real quiet, as if sensing some unforeseen doom.

Giles slowly took off his glasses as he took out a handkerchief to wipe at them...whether they needed it or not.

Buffy was getting scared. "Giles...?"

He didn't respond. At least not right away. But when he did speak, he had everyone's attention, and what he said caused chills.

"As I said..." he began, "th-this is not...nor was it Willow's blood. For which I am immensely grateful. However, this b-blood is unclean for it reeks of the rotten decay of the undead."

"Don't you mean 'the dead'?" Scully inquired, feeling a chill in spite of herself.

Giles looked at her harshly. "No, Miss Scully, I don't mean _'the dead.'_ I mean that this blood reeks of the unholy undead!" He took a deep breath. "I don't know how I can tell you this, but I can feel something horribly evil when I hold that ceremonial jar. I feel the presence of an evil even now that I had not felt since the Hellmouth did open and the Master was free."

Buffy looked at him with dread. "Wh-what are you saying, Giles?"

"This blood is evil, and the one who drinks it must therefore himself be evil. You said that Mr. Fronk had mentioned an Heir?" He took a breath as he returned his glasses to his head. "If I am not mistaken, then I will tell you what this means. Julius has drank from this blood and he has proclaimed himself as the Heir which can only mean one thing...although I- I'm not certain yet how this is possible. But I believe he wants to become the Heir to the Master."

Buffy stared at the ceremonial jar in horror. "Then this blood is...?"

Giles looked at her. "The Master's blood."

Silence fell upon the room.

Mulder finally broke the silence. "So we've got a terrorist who wants to become a new undead Master, and another terrorist out there with a possible nuke. Is that what you're saying?"

Lenox let out a sigh. "I believe that's the gist of it."

Mulder looked at every one of them. Finally, he shook his head, looked at Scully, and snorted. "And you call me paranoid."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	11. "You Stole My Barbie!"

Buffy, Giles, Mulder, and Scully made their approach to Barrington and Staci, who were beside the hole in the ground. Staci was on her knees beside the hole and Barrington stood away from her, as if he were giving her space. She seemed to be concentrating all of her attention and focus on the hole in the ground.

Lenox approached from behind the group, dragging the terrorist he had captured alive. The man's hands were handcuffed behind his back and a rag was stuffed in his mouth. He glared at every one around him. Lenox shoved the terrorist down onto the ground as he adjusted his headset. "Ace...Birdman. Come on down and make a pickup." He looked over at his wife kneeling beside the hole. "Looks like we'll need the gear you brought along after all."

 _"We're on our way,"_ Vogel responded through the head set.

Giles looked at Lenox. "Er...Mr. Lenox...th-there's another terrorist in the trunk of the car. I hit him with a tire iron, and...well, I'm fairly confident the man is still unconscious."

Lenox held up a hand and nodded. Into his microphone, he said, "Birdman, there's another pickup for you not far from where you dropped us. There's a terrorist in the trunk of a car...the one Mulder drove. You can't miss it. It's in the side of a shed."

 _"We'll get him first,"_ Vogel responded through the head set. _"We'll be there before you know it."_

Buffy glanced with concern at Staci. "What is she doing?"

Lenox watched his wife admiringly, a slight smile on his face. "She's praying."

"She's religious?" Scully asked.

Lenox shrugged. "Staci tells me it isn't a religion but a relationship."

"With God?" Mulder asked. He glanced at his partner. "This sounds like something right up your alley, Scully."

"Prayer is good if you really have that kind of power," Scully said. "But what is she praying for?"

Lenox paused. "I don't know...Yet."

Buffy looked confused. "Wait a minute...Why aren't you praying with her? I mean...do you believe as your wife does?"

"I believe...but let's just say I haven't fully accepted." Lenox glanced at her. "I take care of things my own way. I don't rely on help from heavenly sources."

"What do you mean, _heavenly sources_?" Giles asked.

"Staci has a Guardian Angel. Or something guides her to safety when safety is not there." He shrugged. "I've seen her walk away from harm without a scratch when others would either have perished or be harmed in some way. I can't explain it. It's...it's not for me to say."

"What exactly does your wife believe?" Mulder asked.

"She believes we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against powers...against the rulers of the darkness of this world."

Giles was intrigued. "What precisely does that mean?"

"It means that what we are fighting against is something we cannot see with our eyes. The real battle is around us, and if our eyes were truly open to see it, we would not be able to stand." He shrugged again. "And that may be so. But all I can do is fight what I _can_ see. I can tell you this...if Xander and Willow are down in that hole, we'll find them. Staci will take us right to them."

The helicopter settled down to make the pick-up.

Something else was happening. Something they could not see. A host of angelic beings flew down from the heavens and soared right into the mouth of the hole. A host of demons were on the walls of the hole as the angels entered. The angels swung their mighty swords and many demons were cut in half. The earth swallowed up the demons that had been slain.

The angels continued until they reached the bottom of the hole. A tunnel was at the very bottom and it branched off in two directions. There was also another hole, but smaller...and some of the angels went into that hole, slaying demons as they went. Other angels went down one way of the tunnel, and others still went the other way where they passed over Rueben Julius, the Knife, who was facing three vampires.

The angels that had gone into the smaller hole found it to be steep and it led into a cavern. In this cavern in the dark, two teenagers were laying on the ground, huddled close together. Jeremiah was standing watch over them.

He looked at the angels. "She is the one," he said with his hand over the girl. "She must be protected at all cost. They both must be."

The angels took up a position around the teenagers to protect them.

_______ _______ _______

Xander remembered only one thought as he had grabbed a hold of the rope and began the quick descent into darkness. _I have either got to be the craziest guy around to pull a stunt off like this, or I am so much in love that I just can't stop myself from being crazy!_ Then he thought, _That was the craziest thought I ever had. Seriously, what the hell is happening here?!_

As he and Willow dropped, he focused his thoughts on her and tried to position himself to take the brunt of the fall. That was an extremely impossible task to do, but he had to try for her sake.

His feet crashed through the rotten wood that covered the hole as they fell through. Suddenly, it got pitch black and Xander couldn't see a thing. The rope pulled tight, ending the rapid descent and he hung onto the rope as tightly as he could. For a brief time, he and Willow dangled with her arms still looped about his neck. But it happened. Xander's hands felt numb and he loosened his hold. They began to plummet downward once again into the blackness that was all around them. The second fall, however, was not a long one, but because they were falling blind, it was unexpected. They hit the ground and fell down a steep decline.

Finally, they hit the ground and Xander waited for everything to stop spinning.

He found himself lying on his back with Willow's arms around his neck and she was lying on top of him. He groaned. At least he had somehow managed to take the brunt of the fall as he had hoped he would. His eyes were wide open, but all he could see was blackness. It was so dark, he could cut it with a knife...if he had one.

He was suddenly quite scared. What scared him the most was that Willow wasn't moving. He put his arms around her.

"Willow?" His hands were on her back. "Willow!"

He managed to sit up and listened as he held her. He brought his face to hers and was very much relieved to hear her breathing. That had to have been a good sign, he decided. He moved her arms over his head and placed her hands in her lap. Then he reached into his pocket for something resourceful.

"C'mon, Mr. Zippo...where are you?"

Finding his lighter, he pulled it out and flicked it. He found himself sitting against a rock wall with Willow leaning against him, her eyes closed. He looked at her face closely, wishing he knew how to diagnose what was wrong and if there was anything wrong to begin with. All he saw was how peaceful she looked...and _God, she is beautiful._ he thought. He saw that her face had been stained by her tears.

"Willow," he said softly. He kissed her on the forehead.

Xander looked around to see where they had fallen. His eyes did not see the angels that were standing guard around them, but they did see some kind of workstation. He used one hand to try to make Willow comfortable, and then he went over to the old workstation to see if there was something useful to find. Perhaps something even better than Mr. Zippo.

He saw something at once that made him blink. "Well...we must have a guardian angel, Will." He picked up a lantern, and to his surprise, it was full of oil. He set it down and went about the task of lighting the lantern. Once he managed to light the lantern, he put away his lighter and looked around. A tunnel branched out of the cavern they were in and it appeared to be the only way out. The hole above them he realized was where they had fallen from and he could see no way of climbing out that way.

He set the lantern down onto the ground and sat beside Willow. He gently took her hands and untied her wrists. He almost wanted to cry when he saw how tight the ropes had been. She had rope burns and dried blood around her wrists. Xander suddenly remembered that he was a guy and guys did _not_ cry...but they did beat up terrorists who bullied their girl friends!

He looked at her wrists as he held her hands in his. Then he looked at her face. He wondered not for the first time why it had taken him so long to see her in this way. To see her not as just his friend...but as his girl. What had he been afraid of? He had known that Willow already felt strongly for him. He knew that she cared for him and loved him.

She looked so peaceful with her eyes closed, he couldn't bear to wake her.

He sat back and held her with her head on his shoulder. For what seemed like a long time, they sat together alone and Xander thought about her, and Willow slept. What she had gone through in the past day and a half had clearly exhausted her, and there was no way Xander was going to move her until she was ready to move.

It was some time later when Willow moaned.

"Willow?" he inquired softly with concern.

There was no response.

He sat back and listened to her breathing. He didn't understand why, but it was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard.

Minutes went by, and still he listened.

"X-Xander...?"

He gently squeezed her to let her know that he had her. "I'm here, Will."

There was a pause. Then, softly, "Xander...?"

"Yes, Will. What is it?"

There was another pause. Then... "You stole my Barbie."

Xander blinked. Did he just hear her say what he thought she said? He looked down and with his hand, brushed aside Willow's hair so he could see her face. Her eyes were still closed, her breathing even.

"Willow...? Are you talking in your sleep?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes...but you still stole my Barbie."

He smiled at the memory. "Yes, Will. I did."

There was silence. "Xander...?"

"Yes, Will?"

"What did you do to Barbie?"

Xander frowned in thought. Was she actually still talking about her Barbie? "Oh, Will...you know. We were kids. We were only five. I was-- "

"We broke up."

He regarded her. "We were kids," he repeated. Why wouldn't she open her eyes? Was she really still sleeping?

"Xander...is Barbie okay?"

He shrugged and hesitated. "Yeah, Will. Barbie is fine."

"Fibber."

He looked aghast. "What makes you say that?"

"Because you always shrug and you always hesitate and you always say, _Yeah_ when you fib."

Xander looked at her closely. "Will..."

She didn't respond.

"Will?"

She kept herself quiet.

"Willow!"

"I am still sleeping," she insisted.

"Will, you are carrying on a conversation with me. You are _not_ sleeping." He paused. "Open your eyes."

She kept her eyes closed and frowned. "I-I can carry on a conversation in my sleep. I'm sure I-I've done it before."

"Open your eyes and look at me, Will."

She pursed her lips. "No."

"Why not?"

In a small voice, she answered, "I-it's a trick."

Xander looked at her with concern. "What's a trick?" He saw a tear form at the corner of her eye as she kept her eyes closed and it tore at his heart.

"They...they p-probably drugged me and-and now they're trying to trick me that you're here when you're probably really a-at school..." She paused. "With Buffy or C-Cordelia. They like to play tricks. They...th-they made me think you were d-dead." The tears flowed more freely now as she couldn't stop. She trembled and buried her face on his chest.

He held her and stroked her hair. "Oh, Will! I'm so sorry!"

"I-if I open my eyes...you won't be here." She sounded so scared.

He held her tight. "Listen to me, Will. Hear my voice. Feel my arms around you. I swear to you that I am right here with you. I'm not a trick. And I'm not with Cordelia or Buffy, because I am here with you...right where I want to be. I want to be with you, Will." He tilted her head up and looked at her face. "Please...open your eyes."

At first she didn't move. Finally, slowly, Willow opened her eyes. Her eyes met his and she didn't look away. She never wanted to look away from Xander's eyes again. She brought her hands to his face. "You're alive," she whispered. "You're safe. You really are?"

"I am." Xander found that he couldn't look away either.

"Th-that terrorist...he-he wiped blood on my leg...he-he told me that it was your blood, Xander."

"But it wasn't my blood. He lied to you." He looked deeply into her eyes. "We're together, Will. And I am so glad that I have you now."

"Me...me, too."

He took a deep breath. "I-I can't believe what a fool I've been. Will, I have this overpowering urge to kiss you right now!"

A smile...a real smile began to touch her lips. Her eyes lit up. "Re-really?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"You...you really want to kiss me, Xander? Me?"

"Yes, Will. I do."

"I-I have always had this fantasy where-where you do, you know, press your lips to mine, Xander. Once, I even thought of your tongue in my mouth, you know, l-like I've heard the French people do, but...I'm not sure I'm ready for that." She shook her head. "Besides, we're really not French anyway. Uh, even though, I'd like to be ready for that, but I'm not 'cause we haven't actually kissed yet, except in my dreams, and-and I don't know how that will be, a-and--"

Xander smiled. "Will, you're babbling. Stop talking and let me kiss you."

She put a finger to his lips as she studied his face intently. "Uh, no."

He stared at her in astonishment. "No?" He frowned. "You don't want to kiss me?"

"Oh, I do, Xander," she assured him. "I do want to kiss you, and...I-I can't think clearly right now 'cause I feel so tingly...It's that Xander thing you do...always does that to me." She took a deep breath. "Besides, I-I can't kiss you 'cause we haven't officially gone out on a date yet either and I thought that once we went on a date, then you could kiss me like maybe on the second or-or maybe the third date. A-and even then, the first kiss should be like when you're taking me to my front door. You know..." She looked at him. "You've just taken me out on a third or fourth date, a-and we're on my doorstep and...and then we kiss."

Xander shook his head as if to clear it. "Will, we've gone out lots of times. Doesn't any of that count?"

"We hung out lots of times, Xander. That's not really dating." She shrugged. "We...we didn't hold hands when we hung out together. Or-or we didn't do any dating things that people get to do when they go out on...dates." She looked at him as if that explained everything.

"What dating things are we talking about, Will?"

She hesitated, "Well...dating things like...like..." She pursed her lips in thought. Then, she said, "Well, I-I don't really know 'cause I've never really been on a _date_ date, as you well know. But I know that there are dating things that need to be done before there's any real kissing involved. Okay, Mr. Xander-Better-Behave-Himself?"

Xander regarded her for a while. Then he chuckled. And then he laughed and hugged her. "That's my Willow." He ran his hand through her hair. "Well, then I'd better get you out of here so I can take you out on a proper date and we can begin doing... _dating things_." He paused as he realized something. "Are you saying I have to take you on a fourth date before I can kiss you?"

"Uh huh." She nodded. "Maybe five. Uh, bu-but four if you behave yourself and act like the perfect gentleman I know you to be."

He paused. "Does this count as a first date?"

"No, Xander. 'Cause this isn't very much fun and you aren't spending any money on me."

He nodded. "Oh, I see. You're trying to train me, aren't you?"

She smiled. "Yep, I sure am."

_______ _______ _______

The entrance of the tunnel led to the cavern where Xander and Willow rested. Standing at that very entrance, unseen by the naked eye, were Jeremiah and several other angels. Jeremiah was standing right in front of a vampire that was not like any other vampire he had ever encountered, but that vampire did not see him.

However, Angel sensed there was a powerful presence right in front of him.

Spike stood beside Angel and was impatient as he ever was. "Why the bloody hell do you keep stopping?" he asked Angel.

Angel shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Angel turned to look at him. "There are other forces at work here, Spike. Right now, there's a powerful presence that I can feel...as if God--"

Spike recoiled. "Are you bloody mad?! Don't use that name around me! He is the enemy!"

"Look, Spike. All I'm trying to say is there are other forces of good and evil in this world besides Vampires and Vampires Slayers. Something is going on here. Something powerful. Like there is some kind of guiding force that is leading us all."

"Leading us where?"

Angel shrugged. "That's what we have to find out."

Spike looked at him in disgust. "What makes you so sure this guiding force is leading us all on a bloody date with some unknown blind fate?"

"I told you...you wouldn't understand."

"Why? Because you have a soul?"

"I can sense a powerful presence in front of us, Spike." He looked at the entrance, unaware that Jeremiah was standing right in front of him. "And it isn't evil. I'm going in. You coming with me or are you backing out of our truce?"

Spike growled, "As long as you don't say _that_ name around me, I'll follow you in there with bells on if we can just get these bloody bastards and their bomb."

They moved forward. And Jeremiah-knowing that this was a part of the plan- moved aside to let them pass.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	12. Blanks

Lenox opened the water bottle, took a deep drink from it, and then he took notice of where the sun was in the sky. "Is there anything you want to tell me before I send you off with my friends?"

Buffy, Giles, Mulder and Scully noticed the Hunter wasn't even looking at the terrorist when he asked the question. Barrington and Staci knew all about Lenox' methods of questioning. They knew what he was capable of and they were very much aware that the others might not take his methods too kindly. Staci herself still did not like that part about her husband even though she had learned the hard way how that his methods were necessary from time to time.

The terrorist spat at Lenox. He cursed at him in his native tongue.

Lenox casually pulled out a 9-milimeter pistol, aimed it at the terrorists head, and said, "I'm going to count to three. If you tell me something I need to know before I get there, I won't pull the trigger."

Buffy stared at him in horror. She looked at Giles as if she expected him to stop Lenox. Giles couldn't bring himself to move. He was convinced Lenox wouldn't pull the trigger, that the man was just trying to scare the terrorist.

Scully, however, had no qualms about interfering. "He has rights," she told Lenox, taking a cautious step forward. "You can't shoot him."

Lenox glanced at her. "A terrorist has only one right. He has the right to die." He looked at the terrorist, but to Scully, he said, "Now shut up and let me count. Did I get to three yet?"

"You haven't even said one," Barrington replied. "Are you cheating?"

"Oh, yeah...okay. Silly me."

Scully stared at Lenox. "Mulder! We can't let him do this!"

Lenox ignored them. "One..."

The terrorist glared up at him.

Scully drew her weapon and aimed it at Lenox. "Put the gun down!"

"Two..." Lenox continued.

Mulder stood beside Scully and put his hand on her arm. "C'mon, Scully. He knows what he's doing."

The terrorist found himself looking straight into the barrel. There was sweat on his brow and his eyes were wide.

Lenox shrugged as if it didn't matter to him. "Three." At point-blank range, he fired.

Buffy and Giles backed away, appalled at the atrocity, and Scully shouted, "No!!"

Lenox fired every round.

But even as he fired, the terrorist cried out with a loud voice, _"I know nothing!! Please!! Dear Allah!! No!! I know nothing!! I know nothing!!" He said a lot of other things as well and continued to speak even as Lenox casually stepped away from him to reload his gun. This time, he loaded it with real bullets._

__

__

Everyone stared at him except for Barrington and Staci. The terrorist sat on the ground, quaking in fear. There was a dark stain on his pants.

Lenox looked at Barrington and Staci, shrugged his shoulders, and put away his gun. "He doesn't know anything. I believe that Jhamel has a backup plan and I'm sure he was careful about who he shared that plan with."

Barrington nodded. "The other terrorist that Ace and Birdman picked up from Mulders' rental doesn't know anything either."

Scully approached Lenox angrily. "They were _blanks_?!" she demanded.

Lenox looked at her as if it should have been obvious. "Yes, Agent Scully. They were blanks."

"What right do you have--?"

"A terrorist with a nuclear device gives me that right. If we don't find him and take it from him, there won't be a Sunnydale, California." He dragged the terrorist to the chopper and secured him to it. Giles and Buffy approached, but it was clear the librarian had something on his mind.

"Mr. Lenox..." Giles began, "I was...ho-hoping to avoid this contraption..." he indicated the helicopter. "...but I suppose it should be safer than Agent Mulder's erratic driving--"

"I heard that!" Mulder called as he stood by the hole.

"Time is growing short," Giles told Lenox. "It appears to me that so-something is about to take place...something awful. I must return to the library and look into this."

Lenox nodded his head. "Sure. My guys can get you there in no time."

Giles thanked him and turned to Buffy. "Try not to get into any trouble. Just find Willow and Xander, and bring them home. I'd like to know what it is that's coming before you face it."

"What a coincidence," Buffy said dryly. "Because I'd like to know, too."

"Then try to come back before dark. There may still be time."

She nodded. "I'll try."

Lenox and Barrington took some supplies from the chopper before LeBeua and Vogel took their prisoners and Giles into the air. Lenox and Barrington were equipped with new weapons. They not only had guns, they were also equipped with katana swords made from silver. Barrington had a pouch filled with throwing stars that were also made from silver.

Mulder picked up a sword and experimented a few swipes and jabs with it. "Hey, what do you intend to do with these?"

"The silver swords can kill a vampire," Barrington began, "as long as you swipe off it's head or stab it through the heart." He regarded him. "We have extra. Why don't you take it?"

Mulder grinned at Scully. "You want one, Scully? Skinner never let us play with toys like these."

"My only concern is for those two kids down there, Mulder," she told him. "I don't need any toys to find them."

Buffy looked at her. "Hey! Didn't you hear what Giles said? They are not kids! They have names. That's Xander and Willow to you. Is there a problem with your hearing?"

Scully hesitated, "I assure you, I don't mean any disrespect."

"Then remember their names."

Barrington and Lenox set up ropes at the mouth of the hole. They knew they had to have their hands free so they had helmets on their heads that had flashlights made into the hard hats. Mulder and Staci took a helmet as well, but Scully was content with her little pocket light.

"Hey, would you like a sword or some other new fancy toy to kill vampires with, Slayer?" Mulder asked Buffy.

Buffy pulled out her trusty stake from within her jacket. She showed it to Mulder and smiled wryly. "I'm good."

"Then let's go," Lenox said. He was the first to enter into the hole. The others followed in after him.

As they were scaling the walls using the ropes and balancing with their feet, Mulder couldn't help but make a comment. "I don't know about any of you...but my spider sense is really tingling."

Buffy, who was climbing down the wall beside him, grinned. She decided that she liked Mulder. Scully, on the other hand, was just too uptight. She wondered how Mulder ever put up with her.

Scully had to respond. "Mulder, if you don't shut up, I'm going to squash you like a bug."

Mulder winked at Buffy. "I think she likes me. What do you think? You think she likes me?"

"I didn't think she liked anybody."

"Oh, sure she does. She just likes to be rough."

They reached the bottom and their lights revealed they were in a tunnel that branched off in two different directions. To the left, the tunnel went as far as they could see. To the right, the tunnel seemed to disappear around a bend after twenty feet.

"What do you think?" Barrington asked Lenox. "Left or right?"

Mulder came over to stand behind them. "I've discovered that when it comes time for making the really important decisions in life, Eany, Meany, Miny, and Moe have always worked best for me."

Staci was facing toward the left tunnel. "There is great evil down this way," she said softly.

Everyone turned to look at her. Mulder went to stand beside her as he peered into the tunnel. Then he regarded her. Her face was a mask of concentration, concern, and fear. Even so, he could see that she was in control of that fear. "I guess your spider sense is stronger than mine," he told her.

She turned to look at him. "I-I don't have a spider sense, Mr. Mulder."

He smiled wryly at her. "I know you don't. But there is something different about you, isn't there?" He paused. "What exactly do you feel from this tunnel?"

She looked down the tunnel again. "I sense a presence of malice...of rage...I feel..." She hesitated and closed her eyes.

"Go on."

She looked at Mulder. "There-there is a dark presence of hatred for all mankind."

Buffy took a deep breath. "That sounds really bad."

Staci shook her head. "Michael..." she said to her husband. "We shouldn't go down this way."

"But maybe we should," Mulder objected. "We have got to know what's down there. Isn't that why we came down here?"

"We can't come this far and not continue on because you sense _great evil_ ," Scully commented sarcastically.

Buffy glared at her and shook her head. "Wow...you really need to get laid."

Stunned, Scully's mouth dropped open and she stared at Buffy in shock.

Mulder shot her a look. Then he looked at Staci and made it a point not to say _kids_ when he said, "What if Xander and Willow are down there?"

Staci turned to face him. She actually looked relieved. "Xander and Willow are not down this tunnel." She saw a hole in the tunnel floor and pointed at it. "They're down there."

Buffy looked into the hole. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a dim light, or was that from them. "How do you know that?"

"I just do."

Mulder paused in thought. "Like you're being guided."

Staci nodded.

Barrington looked down the tunnel. "They may be down that hole, Staci, but I think Mulder's right. We should check this out, too. Could have something to do with this prophecy thing Giles is talking about."

Lenox regarded Barrington. "We'll split up. Bear, you and I can remain in contact with our headsets. Staci and I will take the hole."

"I'm coming with you, too, if you think my friends are in that hole," Buffy said.

Mulder pointed down the tunnel. "There could be vampires that way," he told her.

"Oh, I'm sure there's something down there. I'd advise not going. But if you have to, take a quick look and then get the hell out of there. My only priority right now is Xander and Willow."

"Let's move," Barrington said.

Barrington began to lead Mulder and Scully down the tunnel as Buffy and Staci began to climb into the hole after Lenox.

Mulder, Scully, and Barrington walked side by side in the tunnel. "Damn it," Mulder swore softly as he shook his head in disappointment.

Barrington glanced at him. "What is it?"

"I was hoping to have Buffy with us."

Scully looked at him as if he were crazy. She didn't like Buffy or her attitude one damned bit. "Why would you want Buffy to be with us, Mulder?"

He shrugged. "Well, c'mon, Scully! It's not every day you get a chance to watch a sixteen year old girl kick some vampire ass!" He let out a weary sigh. "Another missed opportunity. And yet the world still turns."

"You need to get out more often," Scully told him.

Mulder frowned. "Well, I am on vacation. Doesn't that count?"

_______ _______ _______

"Willow, I have to get you out of here," Xander replied as he tilted his head to look at her face. "Can you walk? Are you hurt any where?"

Willow glanced at her hands. "Mm-my hands are a little numb...I'm...I-I guess I'm still a little shaky...but I can walk."

Xander smiled encouragingly. "Good, Will. Because I really want to get you out of this place and back home...where you can be safe."

Willow gazed up at him. "Oh, Xander! You want to take me away from it all. That's so sweet!" She smiled.

 _God, she really does have a beautiful smile!_ Xander thought. He got to his feet and helped her up. She stumbled once, but he caught her and held her to him. "You okay, Will?" he asked.

"Ju-just a little dizzy..." She looked puzzled. "I-I don't know what makes me so dizzy..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...whether I-I'm dizzy because of...of what I've be-been going through...or..." she looked into his eyes, "...or whether I'm dizzy because of you."

He looked at her. "I make you dizzy?"

She nodded. "Sometimes you do." She smiled wryly. "I-it's that Xanderish affect you have on me...I'm defenseless against it."

"Well, I promise you, Will...if you get too dizzy, I'll just pick you up and carry you."

She looked at him closely. "Yo-you will?" She pictured him doing just that in her mind and it made her smile. "That would be nice."

"Will, you just hang onto me and I'll get you home." Xander reached down to pick up the lantern. That's when he felt her tense up, and a word escaped from her lips softly.

"Angel..."

Xander looked up and saw Angel walking toward them. But Angel wasn't alone. He had Spike with him. He picked up the lantern as if it were the only weapon he had, and then he made certain Willow was behind him.

"Just stay back!" Xander demanded menacingly at the approaching vampires. "I have a lantern! It's loaded, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

Angel stopped and held up his hands. "Xander, it's me. Angel."

"I know it's you, Sunshine. Or should I say it's Mr. ICan'tStandTheLight since you..." he hesitated as he tried to think of a pun. He couldn't come up with one so he continued with, "..can't stand the light." Then he pointed at Spike who was standing beside Angel. "You're with Spike, Angel! And we know he's really bad...Don't we, Will?"

She nodded her head as she stayed behind Xander. "Uh-huh. Angel, it's true! Sp-Spike is bad."

Angel took a step closer. "Spike and I have a truce--"

Xander held up the lantern as if it were a cross. "I said _stop_!!" He glared at Angel. "You really expect me to trust you with Will's safety? I don't think so. You and Buffy may have something going on but I know what you are and I will never change my mind about that." He took a deep breath as he tried to reign in his anger. "You're no different than Spike, Angel. Even if you do have a soul. Now I'm telling you to keep your distance from us. I may not have a cross or holy water, but I have this lantern. I'll smash this over you, hotshot, if you come any closer. Not even you can survive fire."

Spike shook his head. "I don't bloody believe this! We have other problems. There are terrorists who want to blow up Sunnydale!" He looked at Xander. "I did not come down here to hurt either one of you! I came here to help rescue Willow."

"I believe I've got that pretty much covered, thank you." Xander moved his head toward the way the vampires had come from. "Now move along. Take a hike."

Angel was looking at Willow who was watching from behind Xander. He was astonished at the sight of her. She looked so frail, so scared. There was a look in her eyes when she looked at him that was never there before.

Fear.

Willow was afraid of Angel. It tore at his heart. He felt his heart aching as he realized he was causing her pain. "Willow..." he said softly. "I'm not here to hurt you. You have to believe me."

She hesitated. Then, she nodded. "I-I do..."

"We came to bring you home. You have to trust me. There are other things down here that will come after you and Spike and I can handle them." He looked at her. "Please don't be afraid of me. You weren't before."

"Will's been through a lot, Deadboy," Xander told him. "Maybe this experience has opened her eyes to what you truly are."

Angel didn't know what to say.

Spike let out a weary sigh. "If we don't get out of here, those terrorists will find you."

Angel nodded. "Spike is right. You have to follow us." He glanced at Willow.

"Lead the way!" Xander exclaimed. "Just remember...My lantern can go off at any time. I have a nervous lantern-finger...if that makes any kind of sense to you at all." He thought of something. "Where are you leading us anyway?"

"To the factory."

"Wait a minute...why there? Isn't there some other way out?" He pointed up to the hole they had fallen through. "Can't you get us back up that way? I'm sure you can handle a bunch of gun-toting, American-hating terrorists."

"Not in broad daylight, we can't," Spike told him. He rolled his eyes. "For the last time! Enough bloody talking! We can make it through the tunnels fast enough. Once we get to the factory, we'll let you out into the sunlight. Then you're on your own." He looked at Xander. "Would that satisfy you?"

"It would if I could trust you, Spike, but I can't."

"What other choice do you really have? It's either that or take your chances down here and risk running into those bloody Arabs with their guns and bombs. Either way, I don't care."

"Spike..." Angel began, a warning in his tone.

Spike glared at him. "We are wasting time! I thought we were about stopping a bloody nuclear bomb!"

"All right..." Xander said as he put his arm around Willow and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Fine. Lead on."

The vampires turned around and they began to lead Xander and Willow through the tunnels. As they walked, Willow pressed herself as close to Xander as she could and she had her arms around him. She didn't intend to ever let him go.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	13. Evil Gypsy Ways

LeBeau and Vogel dropped Giles off at the library, and then they took their prisoners to a safe house where they would be dealt with accordingly. At the Rosenberg Residence, the phone rang and Jenny Calendar answered it. "Rupert!" she exclaimed, relieved at hearing Giles voice. "Where are you?"

Cordelia watched Jenny from the sofa. She was hoping that crazy old British Librarian was calling with good news.

 _"I-I've returned to the library,"_ Giles answered Jenny's inquiry. _"It appears that-that something is about to happen and we must be ready for it. I would like it very much i-if you and Cordelia could meet me here to do a little research."_

"Okay," Jenny responded, glancing at Cordelia. "Sure. That sounds like a plan. Maybe we can convince Billy to come with us. He's absolutely amazing with the computer." She hesitated, "Rupert...you haven't said anything about Willow. Is she okay? Did you find her?"

There was a pause. _"No. I'm afraid we did not find her."_

Jenny closed her eyes because she didn't want to ask the next question. "The blood, Rupert...Was it--?"

_"No, Jenny. Of that I am most certain of. The blood was not Willow's."_

She let out a deep sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God." She ran a nervous hand through her hair. "Well...what about the terrorists? Has that threat been neutralized?"

Giles let out a chuckle. _"'Neutralized'? You're beginning to sound like one of those government agents, but to answer your question, er-all of the terrorists save for one have be-been taken out of the equation. The man known as the Speaker is still a loose cannon as it were, and-and it appears that he may have some type of nuclear device on him."_

"Do you really think this research will do any good then? I mean why bother if we're all about to be microwaved into ashes?"

_"Because it's really rather simple, Jenny. We haven't been microwaved into ashes just yet."_

She smiled. "I suppose you have a valid point, Rupert. We'll be over soon. I just enjoy yanking your chain."

Giles sounded puzzled. _"Jenny...I-I don't have a chain."_

She smiled teasingly. "All men have chains, Rupert. It's a biological fact."

Cordelia could not hear Giles' side of the conversation, for which she was immensely grateful for. Even so, she couldn't help but hear Jenny's side. "Are you two getting perverted with each other? Ah, hello! Now is not the time for that, and what's even more important...Eww! Gross!"

Jenny held up a hand to Cordelia to halt the teenage tirade. _"Uhm...Oh..."_ was Giles' response to her.

She decided to bring the subject back to where it belonged. "Listen, I'll send Billy and Cordelia over right away. I have to run home. I may have a few books that might have references to what we saw on the tape."

_"Do you think that's wise going alone?"_

"You said yourself...the terrorist threat has been neutralized with the exception of one man. Besides, I live on the other side of town in the opposite direction of the school. With Cordelia and Billy there to help you, you might even figure this thing out before I arrive."

There was a pause. _"Er...Ve-very well. Just...be careful...and do hurry."_

She smiled again. "Oh, Rupert...Do you miss me?"

_"We-well, i must admit...there are times when I-I can't get you out of my mind. Sometimes, I-I find it difficult to concentrate on my research...If you must know."_

"Rupert, I am so gladI have affected you so." She paused. "But I admit...the feeling is mutual. Lately, you're always on my mind. I think Willie said something like that."

Giles paused. _"Bi-Billy? You-you mean, Mr. Fronk has told you that lately, you've been on hi-his mind?"_

She smiled, amused. "No, Mr. Medieval Times. Not _Billy_. Willie...as in Willie Nelson. He's a bard."

_"A b-bird?"_

"A bard!" She chuckled. "I think they call it something different today. He's a country-western singer. You really need to get out of that library every now and then, Rupert. You're getting as musty as those old books of yours." She glanced at Cordelia. "I should go now. Cordy is shooting me with those looks of hers. I'll see you soon."

_"I-I look forward to seeing you...here."_

She smiled and then hung up the phone. "Cordelia, you and Billy need to get to the library."

Cordelia looked at her. "What about Willow?"

Jenny hesitated, "They haven't found her yet, but the blood we saw on the tape wasn't hers."

"Oh, thank God." Then, she frowned. "Why do I need to go to the library with that Crazy Man guy? What if he goes psycho on me?"

Fronk happened to be in the doorway, listening to their conversation. He watched Cordelia with heavy suspicion. "I was just about to ask the same thing of you, my dear? What if you go psycho on me?"

Cordelia looked at Jenny. "Puhlease don't make me go with him!!" she pleaded.

Jenny just looked at her.

A short time later, Cordelia and Fronk left the Rosenberg Residence and headed for the library. Jenny took her car and headed for her home. But when she arrived, she discovered a disturbing scene.

Her front door was ajar.

Carefully, she pushed it open and slowly entered her home. She immediately saw that her living room had been trashed. Cabinets were open, her floor was littered with broken items, and everywhere she looked there was a mess. She stood there in astonishment as she realized her home had been burglarized! There were terrorists and vampires in Sunnydale, and on top of that, now there were burglars! Thieves had ransacked her home.

She let out a sigh and shook her head in disgust.

There would be no time to call the police. She had to grab her books and head out to the library. She hoped her books hadn't been stolen. She turned to go to her home office and that's when she came face to face with her burglar. Before she could get a good look at him, however, a lamp came crashing down on her head. She collapsed to the floor in blissful unconsciousness.

Abhar Jhamel and two other terrorists stood over her.

_______ _______ _______

Giles took off his glasses as he thought about what he had just read from the Codex. The Codex was a book that had been given to him by Angel and it had a great deal of written prophecy concerning the Master. He should have read into it further before now. He should have but he didn't because he had thought the threat of the Master was over when Buffy had sent him crashing through the skylight over the library.

The Master was dead.

He was not coming back.

However, there did in fact appear to be an Heir.

"I really, really hate it when you do that!"

Giles looked up and saw Cordelia watching him from the doorway. "I-I'm sorry?"

She sighed and tossed a hand dramatically into the air. "When you stand there and take off your glasses with that far-a-way _the earth is doomed_ look on your face! I hate that because it usually means that it's the end of the world and my dates are canceled and Buffy gets to be hero slayer-girl again! Can't you find something that doesn't involve slaying?"

He put his glasses back on and frowned. "I-I wish it were that simple, Cordelia. I really do. Unfortunately, simple is not the world in which we live." He looked at his watch and frowned. "Jenny should have been here by now. Perhaps I-I should call her."

"Oh, she'll be here soon enough. Maybe she's making herself look pretty for you."

Giles took off his glasses again and looked at Cordelia. "Er...uhm...I'm sorry...wh-what did you say?" He tried not to look flustered. "J- Jenny...Miss Calendar is not ma-making herself look pretty...for me, I can assure you, Cordelia, be-because...well...It-it comes natural for her to look pretty."

Cordelia smiled knowingly. "So you really do like Miss Calendar."

"Oh-of course, I do. Strictly on a professional level, of course."

"Of course," Cordelia repeated with a nod. "But since a girl can always tell when someone really likes someone else, she knows things. She'll be here soon enough and then you'll find it really difficult to do any research." She smiled. "I suggest you find what it is you're looking for in those books before she gets here." She turned and walked out of the office.

Giles sat there and puzzled over the whole conversation. Then he shook his head and went back to his research on the Heir.

_______ _______ _______

Jenny regained consciousness and immediately wished she hadn't. Her head hurt so bad that it made her nauseous. There was blood in her hair and the room would not stop spinning. That was only a small part of her dilemma. Her hands were bound behind her back and her ankles were bound to the legs of the kitchen chair she found herself sitting on.

She looked up and saw she was not alone.

There were three terrorists in the room with her and one of them was the Speaker. Jhamel watched her closely as if she were a rat in a maze and he was studying her. He held something in his hand, something small enough for his fist to close completely over it. She couldn't see what it was. She did see, however, the gun lying on the kitchen table. Right in front of her.

 _Oh, my God,_ she thought. _He's going to kill me._ She looked across the table into Jhamel's eyes and saw his intent to murder her right there. He wasn't hiding it from her. He didn't have to say a word about what he intended to do.

"You are a gypsy witch, are you not?" Jhamel asked her casually.

She didn't answer him. There was no reason to prolong this.

He regarded her silently for a moment. Then he shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, does it? I don't really care what you are, nor do I care about the evil that you do. You will be dead before I leave this room. We both know it."

Her thoughts immediately went out to Giles. She was going to die without ever really getting to know him as she wanted to. She wanted to scream at the terrorists but she knew it would do no good, so she continued to remain silent.

Jhamel smiled wryly and shook his head. "This is very sad for me. I should have kidnapped you in the first place instead of that young and weak hearted little girl named Willow Rosenberg. You appear to be so much stronger. I imagine it would take me days or even weeks to break your spirit." He leaned closer to Jenny. "It took only a few short minutes to break poor Willow."

That struck a nerve. Jenny glared at him. "You bastard."

Without warning, he slapped her with the back of his hand. "You will speak respectfully or I will cut out your tongue!"

She glared at him again, the side of her face an angry shade of red where he had struck her. "You really like tying up women and beating them, don't you?!" she exclaimed. "Does that really turn you on? Is that--?!"

He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back. "Your taunts will not unsettle me, witch. There is nothing you can do or say that will cause me to err from my path." He released her and stepped back.

She tried to calm her breathing as she continued to glare up at him. "You _are_ a coward!"

He turned to look at her. Surprisingly, he made no move toward her.

"I know you're going to kill me. Tell me what you did to Willow."

"Now why would you want to know that? I believe that if I did tell you what I did to Willow, then that would unsettle you." He watched her.

Her eyes blurred with tears. "Did you kill her?"

He paused for affect. "Yes. I did."

Jenny closed her eyes and cried.

"It was very painful for her, too. She screamed and begged for mercy." He shrugged. "But I am a terrorist and I showed her no mercy. Would you like the full details, Miss Calendar?"

Jenny glared up at her tormentor. "She-she was just a sweet girl, you bastard! She was so young...she had her whole life to live!" She shook her head in frustration. "May you burn in hell for this!"

Jhamel paused. "It is you who shall rot in hell. You are doing the work of Satan and you do not even realize it. Fool! Even Christians in this so- called great country of yours would despise you for the evil that you do! Your entire home is a den of devilry!" He revealed to her what he was holding in his hand. "You have such things as this item. I believe this is an orb of some kind?"

She stared at it. "Th-that's an Orb of Tesa!"

He nodded. "Yes, it is. To you, this orb has powers of magic that you can tap into. For what, I do not know, nor do I care." He held it up to his face and looked at it. "To me, it has a different kind of power. A power so immense, so awesome, it could destroy this town into dust." He looked at Jenny. "You see...this is what I was after all along. You're precious little Willow Rosenberg was nothing more to me than a decoy."

Jenny stared at him, horrified. "What?"

"I knew that you had this. So I came into town, caused everyone to look elsewhere and then I waited for the right moment to come for my true prize. Now when I put this little orb into the device of mass destruction, it will be the same as if I were using nuclear radiation. It will have the same results once implemented." He smiled. "It will destroy Sunnydale, California, and it will open the Hellmouth. And it is you, Miss Calendar, that I will have to thank for it."

Jenny was so stunned, she was at a loss for words.

"You know..." Jhamel replied conversationally, "if I hadn't of come here to kill you today, then your very own evil, gypsy ways would have eventually come back on you and killed you anyway." He picked up the gun from the table. "You should really thank me. I am doing you a favor. Ahh, but then again...you are about to be killed because of your evil, gypsy ways."

She stared in horror, helpless to stop him.

Jhamel leveled his gun at her, and fired a single round.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	14. "Aw, Luv...You Brought Me A Snack!"

Lenox dropped down into the cavern and turned his head, letting the light from his hard hat search through the darkness. He discovered a workstation, but there was no sign of Willow or Xander any where.

"C'mon down," he said as he looked above him.

He saw Staci's legs coming out of the hole above and he helped her down. Then, Buffy came down next, but she landed on her feet and didn't require any assistance. Staci looked at the only tunnel branching out from the workstation and thought she saw Jeremiah standing there. She blinked and he was gone. She turned to her husband.

"Michael, we're going the right way," she said.

Lenox looked into the tunnel. "What did you see?"

"I saw him. I saw Jeremiah."

Buffy looked as well. She shook her head. "I...don't see anyone."

"He's there," Staci said softly as she moved into the tunnel. "He's there and he's leading us to Xander and Willow."

Lenox and Buffy began to follow. Buffy tried to keep up with Staci. "So...this Jeremiah is going to lead us right to them?"

Staci nodded. "Yes."

"Then Xander is really down here with Willow. How do you know all of this?"

"Jeremiah told me."

Buffy frowned. "But who is this Jeremiah? Why can't we see him?"

"Jeremiah is an angel, Buffy. He is an angel of the Lord."

She stared at her as she tried to comprehend this. "You mean...an angel, angel? Of the Lord? As in, God has sent an angel name Jeremiah to lead us to Xander and Willow?" She paused. "That kind of angel?"

Staci glanced at her. "Yes. That kind of angel."

Buffy paused in thought. "Like a guardian angel."

"Yes. You could say that."

Lenox followed behind them, listening to their conversation as well as keeping a look out for any trouble.

Buffy regarded Staci as they walked. "You know, I couldn't help but notice you don't carry any type of weapon around with you. Not a gun, or a sword. And yet here you are, leading us weapon-toting warriors onward without so much as a worry." She hesitated, "Well, you don't look worried anyway. Are you?"

"No," Staci replied with a reassuring smile. "I'm not worried. I know Jeremiah is leading us for a purpose. I can admit to you that I am scared because I don't know what the outcome will be...but this is about a battle against evil. It has to be fought."

"What evil?"

"I...I don't know, but I'm afraid we will find out."

"Yet you still carry no weapon. Why?"

She smiled. "I don't need a weapon, Buffy. My faith is all I need."

They continued on into the darkness with what light they had to lead the way. A few times when they came along intersections, Staci would clearly see Jeremiah and head for him. Then he would disappear and they would walk along the tunnel. They soon came to a four-way intersection and were almost overwhelmed by a strong odor.

Lenox brought his hand up to his mouth and nose. "Had to happen sooner or later. The sewers."

"Wait!" Buffy grabbed Staci's arm and halted their movement. She was peering intently ahead of them. "There's something up ahead of us."

Lenox stood beside Buffy and peered ahead into the darkness. There was something up there all right. It was moving under the dim lights above the sewers. He caught sight of three dark figures moving toward them.

They were standing right in the intersection and Buffy began to notice there was movement coming from all of the tunnels. She heard the telltale hissing and knew that they were surrounded by vampires.

"Staci..." Lenox began as he looked from one tunnel to the next, his katana sword gripped in his hands, "where did you see Jeremiah? Which one of these tunnels did he take?"

Staci pointed at the one before them. "He went down there."

"Then clear a path for us so we can move on." Lenox was preparing for a charge any second now. "We'll watch your back."

Buffy frowned. "Look, I can clear us a path. Just stay behind me."

But Staci moved ahead of them both and faced the vampires that were blocking their path. Buffy was about to intervene but Lenox grabbed her arm. "Give her a chance. Then do your thing if she fails."

Buffy looked at his face. His expression told her that whatever it was Staci was preparing to do, he didn't believe it was going to fail.

Staci was standing still as she watched the vampires approach. She kept her hands to her sides as she gathered her courage and her faith. It was as if day arrived for her in the tunnel. All darkness evaporated and a bright circle of light engulfed her.

Buffy blinked in surprise and covered her eyes. Lenox was not surprised but he covered his eyes as well.

The four vampires that had been advancing toward Staci abruptly stopped and they, too, shielded their eyes, crying out in pain.

Buffy tried to look at Staci, amazed. The woman carried no cross, or no crossbow. She had no weapons of any kind.

Staci raised her hand toward the vampires and simply said, " _Be gone_!"

Her voice literally echoed through the tunnels. Suddenly, the four vampires were one second standing there with their arms shielding their eyes from the brightness, and the next second, some invisible force literally picked each one of them up and hurled them down the tunnel. What Buffy and Lenox couldn't see were the large angels picking the vampires up and flying away with them down the tunnel. The angels slammed the vampires into the walls, ripped their hearts out, and turned them to dust.

Buffy stared in astonishment. "What the hell just happened?!"

Lenox prodded her onward. "Just move it! Run!"

The two caught up to Staci and they ran. The light around Staci was gone and behind them, vampires came out of the other tunnels to watch them run. They stayed at the intersection, however, and did not follow. They could sense a power they did not want to deal with. They turned and went back the way they had come from.

_______ _______ _______

Xander and Willow had followed Spike and Angel without an incident. They made it to the factory and were led to the large open area where Spike's table took up space in the center of the room. Spike was frowning as he walked up to the table.

Angel didn't like the way his old enemy was frowning. "What is it, Spike?"

Xander and Willow looked at each other. Willow was frightened and Xander kept his arm protectively around her. He still held onto the lantern with his other hand and was willing to start a fire if there was going to be trouble.

"Dru is supposed to be right here," Spike said as he pointed at the head of the table where the chair remained empty. In fact, no one was at the table. "Right here! Where the bloody hell is she? She was supposed to wait for me here, just as she always waits!"

Angel glanced at Xander and Willow. He shrugged. "So Dru's not here. So what?"

Spike glared at him. "Do you think this is bloody funny, Angel? She's a sick girl, Dru is. She's not herself, as you well know. I'm supposed to take care of her but _I can't do that if she keeps taking off like this_!!" He looked around the large room, his nostrils were flaring in anger. "Where could she have possibly gotten off to now?!"

"Wherever it is, I'm sure it's not far. If you don't mind, I'm going to take Xander and Willow to the door so I can get them out of here."

"That's the best idea I've heard all day," Xander replied as he and Willow moved toward Angel. "Lead on, walking-dead-guy."

Spike waved his hand impatiently into the air. "By all means, go!" He turned to look at Angel. "You come right back, Angel! We still have to look for that bleeding maniac who calls himself the Speaker. It'll be dark in a few hours. Then it will be hunting time and...what the bloody hell is this?" He was looking past Angel.

Angel looked at him with concern. "What's wrong now?"

"I may have misspoken."

"Misspoken? About what?"

Spike paused. "I don't think you'll be taking Xander and Willow anywhere."

Xander glared at him. "I just knew it! I just knew you wouldn't let us walk out of here without trying to pick your teethe with our bones!"

Spike looked insulted. "What the bloody hell do you take me for? A cannibal? Besides, I do have my honor."

"From what? A Crackerjack box?"

"I said that I would keep you and Willow safe, and I still mean to!" He pointed at something behind them. "I just don't believe that they mean to keep you safe."

Angel, Xander, and Willow turned their heads and standing there in front of the only way out were seven vampires. The vampires were looking at them and grinning hungrily. They were especially looking at Xander and Willow.

"Spike..." Angel began carefully, "I don't recognize any of these guys." He turned to look at Spike. "Who the hell are they?"

Spike was looking at the group of vampires before them. "Well...I'll be damned."

"Too late for that, Spike," Xander replied. "You're already damned."

Spike tried hard to ignore them. To Angel, he said, "I don't bloody recognize them either." He regarded the new vampires with anger. "Who the hell invited you blokes here? You certainly didn't get an invitation from me!"

Xander snorted. "Maybe your girlfriend invited them, Spike."

Spike glared at him. " _You_ are starting to piss me off!"

"Wouldn't you like to know where she is?" Xander pressed him as he moved to stand beside Angel and Spike. Willow kept herself behind them.

Spike shot him a look. But then he turned to face the new arrivals. "Who the blazes are you people and what are you doing in my home?! Speak up! Were you invited by Dru?"

One of them stepped forward. "We were invited, but not by you."

"That much is obvious! Who invited you?"

He pointed. "She did."

Spike turned around and he froze. "Oh, shit."

Angel and Xander turned around as well. They stared in horror and Willow did not like the way they were looking at her. That's when she realized that they weren't looking at her. They were looking at someone who was standing right behind her.

Slowly, Willow turned her head.

Dru smiled at her as she looked at Willow with such fondness. Her eyes never left Willow as she spoke to Spike. "Aw, luv..." she said dreamily, and she smiled seductively, "you've brought me a snack!"

Before anyone could stop her, she opened her mouth and went for Willow's exposed throat.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	15. "I Want To Believe."

"Mulder, we've been through this so many times, I can't understand why you keep bringing this up," Scully said in exasperation. "Sometimes we see what we want to see. Sometimes we let our imaginations govern what we want to experience. But none of it leads to conclusive evidence that would ever support your theories on government cover-ups, or alien colonization, or whether vampires are really obsessive compulsives. Things that go bump in the night are usually just people who want to see something that isn't there." She let out a sigh as she tried to think of something to tell her partner of how she truly felt about the X-Files. "Mulder, I want to believe. I truly do. But I can't believe unless I see with my own eyes evidence that supports it."

Barrington glanced back at them as he led them along the tunnel.

"Scully, your problem is that you are blinded by your so-called scientific approach to everything," Mulder responded to her comment. "There has to be a scientific rationale to why the earth revolves around the sun, why the stars shine bright at night, and why the 49ers cannot make as many touchdowns as you would like. There has to be a logical reason for the whole picture. At least that's your take on the whole ball of wax." He pointed at her. "Well, your science has more loopholes than you can possibly imagine. Why do you think there is now a major conflict within your great science community that they may have been wrong all these years about how old the earth really is? Because their scientific facts have giant holes in it!" He shook his head. "If you want the facts, Scully, you need only open your eyes. Look at what you see in front of you. Don't challenge it! Last night, I saw four vampires. What did you see? Three sick individuals who needed medical attention and a guy in a long black coat who calls himself _Angel_."

"They were not vampires, Mulder," Scully insisted, letting out a weary sigh.

"Then what were they, Scully? Did you think they were the Village People looking for the YMCA?"

"They needed medical attention and Angel chased them off."

Barrington turned to look at them. "Hey," he said, lowering his voice, "are you two always like this?"

Mulder and Scully looked at each other. Then, simultaneously, they said..."She never listens to reason." "He never listens to reason."

They looked at each other again.

Barrington glanced back down the tunnel. Then he turned to them again. "There's movement up ahead. It looks like there's a fire ahead of us, too. And to the right, I saw an opening that looks like a small tunnel sloping upwards. That looks like our best path to take."

"Lead on," Mulder said.

They went through the opening and followed a narrow passage. The passage angled upward and it forced them to move single file. They came to an opening and it was a large hole in the wall that overlooked a very large cavern. Below them, they saw an altar on a raised platform. Torches were lit all over the walls.

Mulder, Scully, and Barrington stayed low as they looked out at the proceedings below. Scully was staring with her mouth open in astonishment.

"Scully..." Mulder said softly, "do you see it? Please tell me you see a political rally or a '60's Convention going on down there because I'd rather believe that than what my eyes are actually telling me."

Scully hesitated, "Mulder...that's not a rally or a convention of any kind." In a hoarse whisper, she said, "That's pure evil."

About a hundred vampires stood in rows before the raised altar. Three large vampires stood around the altar where a man was lying. That man was Rueben Julius, the Knife...but he no longer looked human.

"I'm going to say something I think makes a whole lot of sense right now," Barrington whispered. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Mulder took Scully's arm and led her down the passage. "You don't have to tell me twice."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	16. The Calvary

It had all happened so fast. There had been no time to respond quickly enough to save Willow. Dru was going to take her and there was nothing any of them could do to stop her in time as her fangs began to bite into Willow's throat. Spike stared at Dru in anger and a touch of envy. He couldn't help that. He had wanted to do that to Willow some day but his love beat him to it.

Angel and Xander were both moving toward Dru to stop her, but by then the damage might be too much and too late.

But something happened.

Dru's eyes opened in horror. "What?!"

Suddenly, as if picked up by some unseen force, Dru flew over the table and crashed onto the floor hard. Willow had her hand on her neck and was amazed that there were no marks Where the vampire mistress had bitten her. Then she looked and saw Jeremiah standing there. Dazedly, she blinked and he was gone.

Jeremiah had tossed aside Dru as if she were a doll.

Xander took Willow aside and looked at her neck, moving her hair aside with one hand and holding the lantern up with his other hand. "Oh, God, Will! What...are you okay?"

"O-okay..." Willow stammered. She looked at Xander. "Bad date. Ca-can we go home now?"

Xander opened his mouth to respond but a hand clamped down onto his shoulder. He turned to face Spike.

"Did you just hit my woman?!" he demanded.

"Spike," Angel said, as he glanced at the seven vampires who were watching them closely. "He didn't hit Dru. But if we don't do something about your guests, it isn't going to matter anyway."

Spike wasn't listening. He made a grab for Xander's arm and pulled hard, causing Xander to spin around to face him. The motion was fast and Xander found his hand losing its grip on the lantern.

The seven vampires began to move forward.

The lantern began to sail upward.

Angel turned his head and saw the advancing enemy. "Spike!" he cried out. And this time, something in his tone broke through Spike's senses.

Willow, Spike, and Xander turned to see the new threat approaching. Then the lantern finally decided to descend. It had sailed high into the air, but now the truth of the matter was at hand. For whatever must go up must therefore inevitably come down. It crashed at the feet of the head vampire, causing him to look down in horror. The lantern not only shattered, but because of the impact he burst into flames.

Spike, Xander, Willow, and Angel brought their hands up to shield their faces from the heat and the sudden brightness. The vampire began a bizarre dance on the floor.

Spike frowned. "Balls and bloody hell!!" he shouted. He turned to glare at Xander. "You strike my girl, and now you try to burn my house down?!" He pointed at him angrily. "When my truce with Angel is done with, you'd better not be anywhere near me!"

"Fine by me," Xander agreed. "Your breath stinks like rot anyway."

Spike frowned. "What the hell did you just say?"

Xander ignored him and looked around in desperation. "Damn it! I could really use a weapon right now!"

Angel silently agreed. He quickly picked up one of the antique chairs and raised it above his head.

 _"Nooo!!"_ Spike shouted in protest.

But it was too late. Angel brought the chair down hard and smashed it into pieces. He picked up two of the broken legs, one of which was very sharp, and he tossed one to Xander. Xander looked at it appreciatively. He had been given the sharpest leg.

Spike glared at Angel. "Do you know how much that cost me!"

"Don't blame me..." Angel pointed at the visitors. "Blame them."

Spike glared at his guests and let out a sigh of irritation. "Why the bloody hell not?" He retrieved a leg for himself. "I think it's about time you blokes pay for this damage...with your lives!"

The burning vampire was screaming in agony and because of his dancing back and forth across the floor, his companions were not so ready to make a charge for their prey. But suddenly, a figure raced toward the burning vampire. No one had seen where he had come from but he had a sword and it sliced through the air. The sword sliced through the vampire's neck. As the burning head began to fall, it burst into dust along with its body and the dust and ashes fell to the floor.

Lenox spun around to face the remaining six vampires with his sword at the ready. Willow stared in astonishment. She knew who that was. "Mi-Michael?" she inquired.

Staci appeared at her side and put her arms around her. "We're both here, Willow."

Willow turned to look at her. "Staci, I can't believe you're re-really here!" She hugged her.

Buffy stepped to Angel's side and smiled wryly. "The Calvary's here. Who are your friends?"

"Doesn't matter," Lenox growled. "Let's dust them." He charged at the nearest one with his sword, but the vampire saw it coming and stepped back. He came back with a flying kick that Lenox turned his side into. Then he wrapped his arm around the leg and came down with the sword.

The vampire cried out in pain as the sword sliced into his leg. Lenox dropped the leg abruptly, spun around and swung at his throat. The vampire turned to dust.

Whether it was the sudden motion of the attack from Lenox, or it was something else, the other vampires charged as a group. Spike ran himself into one and they both tumbled onto the floor. Angel and Buffy soon found themselves each fighting one. That left two who remained and those two were heading for Xander, Willow, and Staci.

Xander braced himself with the wooden leg and put himself in front of Staci and Willow.

But suddenly, Staci gently pulled Xander back. She looked at the approaching vampires and gathered her faith. "Shield us!!" she shouted.

The vampires suddenly charged at them but it was as if they had struck an invisible wall. They collided into air as rock hard as a brick wall and they stumbled back. Shaking their heads in disbelief, they stared ahead of them as they tried to see what it was they had run into. What their eyes could not see were four angels standing side by side with their shields in front of them. Xander, Willow, and Staci couldn't see the angels either...but they knew that something was there.

The two vampires glared at Staci.

She looked right back at them. She raised a hand toward them. _"Get back!!"_ she shouted. Her voice seemed to echo along the walls.

The unseen angels grabbed the vampires and carried them into the air. To Xander, Willow, and Staci it seemed like the vampires were flying through the air across the warehouse where they hit the far wall hard and vanished from sight. They got up from the floor and made for their escape. They've had enough.

There was a long pause as Xander and Willow stood together, staring at where the vampires had gone. Then they looked at each other. Slowly, they turned around and they stared at Staci as if seeing her for the first time.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Staci, but..." Xander took a deep breath and pointed at her enthusiastically. "...I love you!"

Buffy, Angel, and Spike had managed to dust their opponents with a minimum of trouble. But then Buffy had to play the peacemaker as she saw Lenox regarding Spike and Angel suspiciously.

"Listen," she said, "I can't vouch for Spike, but I can for Angel. He's a good vampire. He really is, so-"

"I know." Lenox nodded. "He has a soul."

She stared at him blankly. "You...know that already? You...you seem to know a lot."

He looked at Spike. "What's your story?"

"I have a truce with Angel," Spike said through clenched teethe. "A very short truce."

"For your sake, it better be longer."

"Was that a threat, mate?"

Lenox glared at him. "I'm not your mate." He shook his head. "I don't make threats."

"And I don't like you! Nor that woman of yours with her invisible friends!" Spike nodded his head. "Yeah, that's right! I know about your guardian angels..." He put his hands on his hips and glared around him. _"And they're not bloody welcome in my bloody house!!"_

"The only reason you're still alive is because of your truce with Angel. And don't piss off the angels. They may tear you apart."

"Enough!" Buffy called out. "Look. We have to get Willow out of here. Can we do that please? Before any more testerone outbursts?"

Xander had been watching them until he felt a hand grab at his arm.

"Xa-Xander..."

Xander turned his head and found Willow at his side. Something was wrong. She was looking at him fearfully. Her eyes were a little glassy and her breathing was shallow. She was trembling.

He had a sudden feeling of panic as he put his arms around her to keep her from falling. "Will?! Oh, God...Will! You...you're shaking."

Willow looked at Xander's face. She looked until she couldn't look any more. She lost focus, closed her eyes, and suddenly lost consciousness. He held her and looked at her face, despair setting in.

"Willow!" Buffy cried out. She hurried to Xander's side, fearing for her friend. "Oh, my God. Xander, what happened?"

Staci placed her hands on Xander's shoulders and tried to guide him. "We have to get her onto the table, Xander," she said gently.

He nodded numbly but he picked up Willow and placed her gently onto the table.

"Now that's what I call setting the table," Spike said with a whistle.

Angel, Buffy, and Lenox shot him a look.

Spike tried to look innocent. "What? Did I say something?"

"Say anything more and I'll end the truce with a table leg in your heart," Angel promised him.

Lying on the table, Willow suddenly looked quite peaceful, as if all she was doing were just sleeping. Her breathing was steady and Xander hoped that was a good sign.

Spike tried to pretend he hadn't spoken his first comment out loud. At least he hadn't meant to say that out loud. He cleared his throat. "What the bloody hell is wrong with her?"

Staci glanced at him. "It's called Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome."

"That's a very long terminology, right?" Xander asked nervously. "I'm simple enough to know that big words like that usually mean it's not a good thing."

Staci gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "It's stress, Xander. Everything that Willow has been through within the past two days has caught up with her. She's going to be fine." She turned to look at her husband. "Michael...we still need to get her to a hospital."

Lenox nodded his head as he approached the table. He re-sheathed his sword and cast a wary glance at both Spike and Angel. Then he reached for Willow and gently picked her up. "Where's the nearest exit?" he asked.

"Right this way, mate," Spike replied. Then he frowned at Lenox. "Sorry." He began to lead the way. Lenox carried Willow behind him as Staci and Xander followed.

Angel and Buffy stood together and watched them go. "Are you okay?" Angel asked her.

Buffy tried to keep her composure and was successful for the most part. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "Willow has gone through so much, Angel...I saw the mind games they played on her. I-I just hope she'll be okay."

Angel put his hand under her chin and raised her head toward him. "Willow is going to be all right, Buffy. She's safe now." He paused. "She needs her friends and family right now. So go with her. Give her your love. That's all she needs."

"What are you going to do?"

"There's not much I can do until sundown. But Spike and I will look for those two visitors who took off on us. We'll find them."

Buffy hugged him. "Be careful, Angel."

He smiled wryly at her. "Words to live by."

Then he was gone.

Buffy hurried to catch up with the others.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	17. The Master's Heir

Lenox was able to communicate via his head set with his fellow Hunters and it helped them accomplish what they needed to do within a short period of time. LeBeau and Vogel were able to locate the factory where they made their pickup. Then they headed for the Sunnydale Memorial Hospital where they set the chopper down onto the rooftop. Nurses and orderlies helped get Willow onto a stretcher and then they all went into the elevator and headed for the Emergency Room.

It was quite a crowd.

Lenox, Staci, Buffy, and Xander were with two orderlies and two nurses and one stretcher with Willow lying beneath a sheet. They went into the ER and were met by Mulder, Scully, and Barrington. The place was getting just a bit over crowded so a doctor ordered them all to clear out. Staci and Scully, however, had no intentions of clearing out. They were both doctors themselves and they were both staying with Willow. But the others, however, were given the boot. They went into the only room they could...the waiting room. Once there, they discovered another surprise waiting for them.

Buffy looked in surprise at the two people sitting forlornly against the wall. "Giles? Cordelia?"

Giles raised his head. He looked terrible.

Cordelia got up from the chair and walked toward Buffy and the others. "Buffy! Xander!" She looked relieved to see them both. "Please tell me you have good news!" She looked at Buffy expectantly. "Did you find Willow?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes. We found Willow. She's going to be okay. She...she just needs to rest." She turned to Giles with concern. "What are you guys doing here?"

Cordelia opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. For once, she was truly at a loss for words. She turned to look at Giles with concern for him.

Barrington walked over to Giles and sat next to him, watching him with concern. "Rupert...what happened?"

Giles hesitated, "One of Jenny's neighbors had heard a di-disturbance. She...she called the police and-and they found her...bound to a chair." He paused for breath. "She ha-had been shot."

Buffy brought her hands to her mouth to keep from crying out.

Xander closed his eyes and squeezed his hands into fists. "I really hate this fucking place..."

Giles couldn't bring himself to look at either one of them. "She's in critical condition. The bullet mi-missed her heart...It-it went co- completely through her shoulder."

Buffy knelt before Giles and put her arms around him. "Giles...I'm so sorry."

Giles couldn't bring himself to move. "It-it was my own fault, Buffy. I should have told her not to go...I should have insisted that she-she return to the library."

"Would she have listened?"

Giles thought about it. "I suppose she wouldn't have."

Xander shook his head. "You can't blame yourself for this, G-Man. You've got to put the blame where it belongs. To the bastard who shot Miss Calendar."

"Do the police have any leads?" Mulder asked.

Giles shook his head. "They have no clue. They think it might have been someone who hates gypsy's."

Lenox paused in thought. "Jenny Calendar is a gypsy?"

Giles looked up at him. "Yes. Th-that's right. She is. Why?" He frowned. "Are you seriously suggesting this is a case of bias bigotry? I-I can't bring myself to believe that! She was after books on vampire lore that-that might have given us a clue as to what is about to happen here tonight! Pe-perhaps a vampire got to her and made it look like a shooting...to throw us off!"

"I don't think you believe that. Do vampires even carry guns? Not from what I've seen. Maybe someone wanted something from her," Lenox suggested. "Maybe a gem or a stone of some kind."

"For what?" Mulder asked.

Lenox paused. "For a nuclear device."

Everyone stared at him.

Xander frowned. "I don't get it. What could a gypsy have that can be used in a nuclear device?"

Barrington had already thought about it. "Plenty of items. Rocks, crystals, orbs, diamonds...Anything like that. Some of these items could have certain qualities that a terrorist would be looking for."

Mulder shook his head. "It's starting to seem like the shooter was the Speaker himself."

"I'm betting he has more accomplices," Lenox commented.

Giles frowned as something occurred to him. "So maybe this whole thing was a ruse of some kind. They wanted us to think they wanted the location of the Hellmouth revealed to them, but what they really wanted all along was something from Jenny for their device." He froze as it dawned on him. "My God...ma-maybe they knew all along where the Hellmouth was."

"Do you really think that?" Xander asked.

Lenox regarded Giles. "Rupert...where is it?"

Giles looked at him. "It's right under the school."

"Where's Crazy Man?"

Giles frowned. "Who?"

"Bill."

"Oh...He's still at the library, researching for me."

Lenox looked at Barrington. "I think it's time we did a little research of our own."

Barrington agreed.

Mulder looked at them. "Need a hand? I just happen to have two available."

"Then bring them along." Lenox clapped Xander on the shoulder. "Let my wife know that the boys have gone out hunting."

Xander nodded and gave him a thumbs up. "Bag one for me, will you?"

"We'll bag them all. For you and for Willow."

Lenox, Barrington, and Mulder left. Buffy, Xander, and Cordelia joined Giles as they found seats for themselves. As they sat there together, they thought of Willow and Jenny. Finally, Buffy looked at Giles with concern. "Hey...are you okay?"

Giles let out a deep sigh and he turned his head to look out the window. "The sun is going down, Buffy. Whatever it is that's about to take place...it's going to happen tonight. And I'm afraid that we're not ready for it." He looked at her, the concern for her safety clearly on his face. He did not want her to face another danger without knowing how to deal with it. After all, he was the Watcher...wasn't he? What kind of Watcher would he be if he failed in his duties?

Buffy tried not to let her fear show. "C'mon, Giles. How bad can it be? There were things that I had to face without being fully prepared before...and I managed to beat those odds somehow. Didn't I?"

"Well...yes, bu-but--"

"And I did beat the Master," she pointed out.

Xander nodded his head. "Yes, you did, Buffy, after he killed you," he reminded her.

"I still beat him."

Cordelia tried to lend her support with a cheery victory wave. "You saved us all. Three cheers!"

Buffy frowned. "Look, I'm just trying to say that I'll find a way to beat whatever is next. I have to, Giles. The other option is something I don't want to think about, so...I'll find a way to win this. Okay?"

Giles let out a weary sigh. "Buffy...th-this is not the Master you are going up against. This is the Heir, and-and he is already free. There is nothing trapping him from our world like the Master was trapped. According to the Codex, he will be just as powerful as the Master was, and he will have an army with him." He looked at Buffy closely.

She took in a deep breath. "Oh, my God...You-you've already found something, haven't you?" She regarded him. "You found another prophecy about me!"

He looked away.

"What is it, Giles? You have to tell me!" She grabbed his arm and shook him. "I won't run like I did the last time, Giles, but please...you have to tell me what you saw!!"

Xander and Cordelia had become silent. They could only sit and watch as their friends, the Watcher and the Slayer, revealed their sorrow and anguish over the past ordeal. And it wasn't over yet. Far from it.

Giles looked at Buffy. "Th-there was something I found," he said quietly.

Buffy waited.

He took off his glasses. Then he quoted from the Codex. _"'The Slayer shall meet the Heir and the Heir shall seal his own fate. The Slayer shall fall and a child shall stand to release judgment.'"_

Silence filled the room.

"Giles," Buffy finally said, "did I ever tell you how much I hate books?"

_______ _______ _______

Angel and Spike had found the remaining two vampires who had fled from the factory. They had followed them to their lair using the tunnels. They realized that the lair was a place of so much evil that even they could feel its presence. That unnerved Spike. He had always considered himself to be evil in his own way...but not like this. He and Angel found a hiding spot and they kept low as they watched the proceedings within the large chamber room.

If this had ever been a movie, the eerie music with the deep sounding drums would have begun to play. The camera would have panned overhead to view the hundred vampires standing in formation, periodically bowing to the man lying on the altar. The three who stood at the altar simply remained as they were, waiting and watching.

Suddenly, the man, Rueben Julius, the Knife began to stir.

His hands flexed and then they closed into fists. Slowly, he rose to a sitting position, and his back was straight, his eyes closed. He swung his feet over the side of the altar and stood on his own. He opened his eyes, and they were red. He flexed his mouth open only to reveal fangs. His muscles bulged as he raised his arms and looked at them.

He smiled with great pleasure.

His army began to chant. _"Master! Master! Master!"_

Julius looked out at them and knew that they would do his bidding. _"I am alive!"_ he shouted at them.

 _"You live!"_ they cried back as one.

Julius paused for affect. "I am alive...and tonight, we shall take Sunnydale and make it our own. We shall feed on some and enslave the rest!" He smiled. Evil radiated from him. "Tomorrow night, we shall take the rest of the world!"

The army of vampires broke into cheering.

Then Julius held up a finger and silenced his followers who eagerly obeyed. "But first...I must go shopping." He grinned happily. "For a pet!"

The followers puzzled over that.

"This pet already has a name..." He beamed at his beloved followers. "Her name is Willow."

From their hiding place, Angel and Spike looked at each other. Angel didn't want anything to happen to Willow and even Spike didn't want her to end up with this monster as she would be nothing more to him than a pet. They had to stop Julius, but at the moment, the odds were not stacked in their favor.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	18. Pets And Things

Lenox, Barrington, and Mulder took Mulder's rental and headed for Sunnydale High. As Mulder drove, Barrington used his head-set to make contact with Fronk. He outlined for Fronk what they had suspected Abhar Jhamel was up to and Fronk confirmed it when he told him what he had found.

 _"I found the mother lode, baby,"_ Fronk began, _"and I mean it's a beauty. Using the link that began at Willow's computer and the other links, which were tapped into by the foul accursed villains, I followed them all to one source. It led me to their hard drive where I was able to tap into, break into their files, and back my way out again...leaving behind one nasty little bug that will permanently shut them down as soon as one of them accesses it."_

Barrington nodded his head. "Well, that's great. What did you find?"

_"The device they're planning on using...Well, it has a special design. It's like a mole, once activated that is. It burrows itself deep into the ground and then it explodes. The explosion, of course, can be set to go off at any time it is programmed for."_

"So he'll set the device, drop it, and then...what?" Barrington frowned. "He's a terrorist. I don't believe he means to run." He thought for a moment. "Crazy Man, we're on our way to your location. I have a plan." He glanced back at Lenox who was sitting in the back seat.

Mulder floored the accelerator.

_______ _______ _______

Abhar Jhamel and six other terrorists arrived in a van. They parked the van in the most vacant part of the parking lot and for a short time, they simply remained in the van. Jhamel and his driver looked out through the windshield as they watched the Sunnydale High, anticipating their mission.

As the sun was setting and it became dark, Jhamel decided that the time was right. He climbed out of the van first.

He stood in front of the van as the others climbed out and moved toward him. The driver stopped to stand beside him as the remaining five walked to the end of the parking lot. The five men stopped beside a sewer drain, and in no time at all, they had removed the cover. One by one, they disappeared into the hole. When the last one entered, he closed the cover back into place.

Then there was silence.

Jhamel and his driver stood there in the silence for another moment. Jhamel himself carried no weapon other than his nuclear device. The Mole had the orb inserted within and all he had to do was set the timer.

He smiled triumphantly.

The driver looked at him expectantly.

"Come," Jhamel said with pride. "Tonight we will become hero's, and America will suffer horribly."

Together they began to walk toward the school.

_______ _______ _______

Sunnydale Mall was crowded. The place was packed full of shoppers of every age group. Most of the shoppers had the same thought in mind and that was to simply spend, buy, want, take...more, more, more. They earned their money for the most part, and now it was time to splurge a little. Maybe they were buying for a friend, a relative, a parent, or a spouse, or maybe they were spending a little money on themselves.

It didn't really matter.

Julius found the whole thing repulsive.

Americans and their pleasures.

Then he corrected himself...Humans and their pleasures on the frivolous things in life.

Rueben Julius himself was a sight to see walking through the Mall with his bulging muscles in his arms, chest, and neck, and his new distorted face...that of a demon. Walking around him, but a pace or two behind, were four other vampires with their true faces revealed. They were all smiling happily and they were very eager to please their new Master. They wanted to please the Heir.

"Would you like a snack, Master?" one of them asked, rubbing his hands in anticipation of pleasing the Heir.

Julius stopped walking, turned and looked at the fool. "Why, yes! I do want to _smack_!" With the back of his hand, he slapped the eager vampire and there was a loud resounding smack as the lackey fell against the wall.

The other three vamps laughed with the Heir.

The fallen vamp got back up to his feet sheepishly and noticed they were drawing stares, but still no one approached them. He slowly approached the Heir, rubbing his face. He grinned like an idiot. "Please...Master...I only meant to offer you food! Look around! They are ripe for the taking."

People who were in close proximity to them looked at them with curiosity, revulsion, and fear. But the fear was misplaced, and Julius knew it.

"They are all fools," he said. "And that will be their curse. They want to believe that we do not exist, so therefore, they make up other excuses to explain us." He pointed. "Look at them. They think we are sick! Well, we shall let them think that for the time being and we shall snack later." He looked at his followers and smiled. "Besides...I really did come here tonight to go shopping!"

They headed for a store called Henson's Pets & Things.

As they entered, several customers left in a hurry because they were afraid they might catch something. Julius ignored them. They were unimportant to his plans. At least for the moment. He walked up to the counter and placed his palms flat onto the surface. He looked down at the store clerk and smiled, showing his fangs.

"You must be Henson," Julius said.

Henson swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. "That would be-be me." He looked at Julius and the four other patrons now in his store. "Uhm...costume party somewhere, fellas?"

Julius nodded. "Yes."

"Uhm...what...what can I do for you here?"

Julius leaned toward him. "I want the best leash and the most secure collar you have to offer." He waved a finger. "Only the best, now."

Henson grinned. "Oh...Well...Sir, I must say that you have come to the right place. I am your _Collar Man_ , sir. That's what I am. I know all about collars and leashes. Have a dog myself, you know. Yes, siree. A Great Dane, but, his name is Garfield."

Julius smiled. "Garfield. Very clever of you, Henson. You named your Great Dane after a comic strip cat!" He laughed. "And you are a pet owner as well. Then you really do understand my needs."

Henson didn't know his life was in jeopardy. All he knew was that he was going to make a sale. He nodded his head and shrugged. "Aw, well, that's why I'm in the business, you know. I know pets and I know people who have pets. You, sir, I knew right away was a dog person."

"Actually, my pet isn't a dog...but she is still my pet and I must take the proper care for her."

"That is true. That is so true. Now, this all depends on what kind of collar and leash you are in the market to purchase. It has to be just right and it has to go with your charming personality." He paused in thought. "There are chain leashes, but I have the feeling that your pet is small, so this wouldn't do. The chain can have a tendency to pinch you and your dog, so I would say we should rule out the chain. Now how about a nice leather leash? This could be just right for you. It really is the in thing among dog owners these days, especially because it comes in so many different colors. Now for the collar, how about a collar with studs? Doberman Pincer owners love those. Or how about a collar with locks?"

Julius looked at him with a gleam in his eyes. It was rather a mad kind of gleam. "There are such collars?"

"Oh, yes! Of course. It's a new design. It fits completely around your dog's throat without constricting her air supply. It has a tiny padlock on it. It was designed mostly for the women folk who worry about someone dog- napping their little Fifi." He shrugged. "You know, it's really just a cute little gimmick."

"How strong is this tiny little padlock?"

"Oh, it's real strong. Unbreakable. The leash even comes with it." He looked around the counter behind him and found what he was looking for. "Well, in fact, here's one right here, sir. It costs fifty bucks, but it's well worth it." He smiled, thinking to himself that this was going to be an easy sale. "Will that be cash, check, or credit card?" He looked at Julius expectantly.

Julius smiled at his followers as he took the leash. "I have to make a small withdrawal from my bank." He looked at Henson, his friendly smile erased from his face.

Henson was beginning to get a very bad feeling about his new customers. "Oh...you don't have any checks?" He shrugged. "It will only take a moment to run a credit check on it. Really, company policy demands that we do basic security checks, but if you have an account and your credit is good, it's relatively harmless."

The Heir shook his head. "I don't deal with checks. I deal strictly with blood withdrawals only."

"I'm...I'm sorry...Blood...withdrawals?"

Julius began to walk away. As he did, two of his minions pounced on Henson and dragged him to the floor behind the counter. He didn't even have time to scream as they sank their teethe into him.

Julius and the other two minions walked out into the corridor and headed for the exit. "Send others here to feed and frolic," he ordered them. "Word will reach the Slayer and she will have to come running in to save them. Then meet me at the hospital."

"More withdrawals, Master?" one of them asked eagerly.

Julius slapped him. "No, imbecile! I am going to retrieve my pet!" He paused in thought for a moment. "Oh, dear...I do hope she's had all of her shots."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	19. Tingly

It had been a few hours since Willow had been brought to the hospital and Staci hadn't strayed from her side once. She sat by her bedside and watched over her. Scully had left them to make a phone call, to which Staci was grateful to be alone with Willow for a moment of quiet and peace. Scully was so full of anxiety and she had told Staci what she had seen with Mulder and Barrington...or at least her version of what she saw.

"It was all a blur!" Scully had blurted out in frustration. "I still find it hard to believe. Did I see what I thought I saw? Is this all a bad dream and I'm going to wake up any minute to tell Mulder _I told you so'_ " She had thrown up her hands. "This can't be real! This can't be happening!"

And then she had stormed out to make her phone call.

Staci sat watching Willow and she had the feeling that for Willow, it wasn't over yet. "Oh, God..." she said softly, "she's so young."

"And her heart is pure."

Staci turned her head. Jeremiah was standing at the foot of the bed, looking down at Willow fondly.

"Willow doesn't understand the battle she is in," Staci told him as if trying to plead with him not to let Willow go through any more pain. "She cannot be thrown to the wolves like this. They'll..." she hesitated, "they'll tear her apart."

Jeremiah smiled reassuringly. "Willow is right where she needs to be, Staci. It is her innocence and purity that can save her in this battle. It is her child-like faith that will help her defeat the enemy." He looked at Willow again who was sleeping peacefully.

Staci looked at him. "What must she go through?"

"He will come for her soon. He will take her away."

Staci closed her eyes and tried to keep her tears back. She looked at him imploringly. "Jeremiah...please don't let her go through this!"

Jeremiah shook his head. "She won't be alone." He paused to look at her thoughtfully. "He will also take you, and one other."

"One other? Who--?"

"Be strong and of good courage. Let not your heart be troubled. You will go and you must wait."

"Xander...?" Willow called out softly.

Staci sat up and looked at her. "Willow...it's me...Staci."

Willow opened her eyes. "Staci...?" She looked around and discovered she was lying in a hospital bed and was wearing a hospital gown. She frowned. "Oh..."

Staci glanced toward the foot of the bed but Jeremiah was gone. She returned her gaze to Willow. "What's wrong? You seem...dissappointed"

"Well...if I'm in this bed and not my own...then none of it was a dream." She looked at Staci. "I was kind of hoping that's all it was. Just a...a bad dream."

Staci brushed aside some of Willow's long hair from her face with her fingers. "No. I'm afraid it wasn't a dream."

Willow had a look of thoughtfulness on her face as if she were trying to figure something out. She let out a sigh. "All of the parts that I was with Xander...that was probably when I was dreaming."

Staci shook her head. "He was with you when we found you, Willow. In fact, he got to you before we did."

Willow regarded her closely. "Uhm, really?"

She nodded. "I'd say he cares for you." She smiled. "I can tell by the way he looks at you."

"Oh, oh..." Willow had a far-a-way look on her face.

Staci looked concerned. "Willow, what is it?"

"Oh...uhm...nothing...really. I-I'm feeling just a bit tingly." She turned her head to look at Staci and tried to reassure her that she was okay. "No, no...th-this isn't a bad thing. It's really a good thing because, well...I-I only get tingly when I think of Xander." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then, she opened them again. "Oh, boy...I-I'm still thinking about Xander."

Staci smiled at her. "Would you like me to get him for you?"

Willow looked surprised. "Oh...Xander's here? I-In the hospital?"

"Yes. He's in the waiting room." Stacy added, "Buffy, Giles, and Cordelia are here, too." She wasn't about to tell her that Jenny Calendar was also in the hospital as a patient, at least not yet. Not for awhile. "Would you like to see all of them?"

Willow hesitated, "Oh...do-do you think I look messy?" She ran her fingers through her hair.

"I think you look beautiful, Willow."

Willow stopped fussing with her hair as she looked at Staci. There was something on her mind and she had to know. "Staci...ho-how did Xander find me?"

Staci moved back toward the bed. "You said that you were in the tower waiting to be rescued by a knight from a dragon. It was something like that." She looked at her, puzzled. "Why?"

"But...how did he know I said that? I remember having a dream, and I told this angel named Jeremiah that I was in a tower waiting for my knight to save me from the-the evil dragon, but...how did Xander hear that?" She looked at Staci in desperation. "Did...did Xander have the same dream I had?"

Staci decided not to tell her about the video tapes at this point. There was no telling how she would react. "Willow...we found you. Does it matter how we found you?"

Willow looked thoughtful. "Well...I suppose it doesn't." She rested her head back against her pillows. "At least tell me one thing..."

Staci almost dreaded the question. "What?"

"How did you throw those vampires at the factory without even touching them?" Willow's eyes were wide with wonder.

Staci laughed. "Well...Willow, that wasn't me."

"It wasn't? But you told them to get back...an-and they did!"

"It's called faith. That's how I was able to do that. Faith can do a lot of things for you if you truly believe with all of your heart. It makes you stronger, even when it seems that you are at your weakest. And sometimes, it is the only thing that can get you through a battle."

"Don't you need a lot of faith to be that strong?"

"No. Sometimes a little bit of faith is enough." Staci put her hand affectionately on Willow's shoulder. "I'll go get your friends."

Willow grabbed her hand. "Thank you, Staci."

"You're welcome."

Staci turned to go. In the waiting room, she was in time to see Buffy, Giles, and Scully running off through the ER's exit. She frowned as she approached Cordelia and Xander. "Where are they going?"

"That Special Agent lady called the police to see if there were any more news about the terrorists," Xander began, "and they told her there were hideously deformed men on a killing spree at the Mall." He glanced at Cordelia and rolled his eyes. "Not _shopping_ spree."

Cordelia sighed. "I didn't say they were on a _shopping_ spree. Vampires don't have any taste to shop anyway!"

Xander shrugged. "Anyway, Buffy went to do her thing, and Giles went as back up. I really don't know why Agent Scully went with them, unless she really is special. Just seems a bit uptightish to me." He looked at Staci. "How is Willow?"

Staci smiled wryly. "Willow is asking to see her friends."

"Well...she will understand that Buffy and Giles had to run off," Cordelia commented. "After all, they have to save the world."

They headed for Willow's room.

"Uhm..." Xander began, but then he hesitated, "Staci...has Willow said anything about..." He trailed off as he glanced at Cordelia.

Staci winked knowingly at Cordelia. "Willow has mentioned your name quite a bit, Xander. And every time she says your name or thinks about you, she experiences a symptom."

"A symptom?"

"Yes. She says she gets all tingly."

Xander's eyes widened as he thought about that. The three of them entered the room, and Cordelia and Xander hugged Willow at the same time. Cordelia backed away after the hug, But Xander found that when he went to back away, Willow wouldn't let him go.

"Don't leave!" Willow exclaimed.

Xander smiled at her. "I'm not going anywhere, Will." He sat on the side of the bed and held her hands.

Willow laid back on her pillows and looked up at Xander. She was studying his face and searching his eyes. Without saying a word, she was trying to determine if he was a dream or if he was real. Xander seemed to know what she was thinking. He squeezed her hands reassuringly to let her know that he was truly there. She was not dreaming.

Her smile to him was far more beautiful than he had ever imagined.

"How are you feeling?" Cordelia asked.

Willow kept her eyes on Xander. "I'm tingly all over," she said dreamily.

Staci smiled.

"Oh, if it gets weird in here between you two," Cordelia began, "I am leaving."

She was ignored for the most part.

"And that's a good thing," Xander replied to the red head. "Right?"

Willow nodded. "Oh, yes...it's a nice feeling." She paused. "Don't you feel tingly, Xander? I-I was kind of hoping that it was a contagious thing...like a sharing kind of tingly." She wanted to know if he felt the same way.

Xander shook his head. "No, Will...I don't have the tingles."

She looked at him, disappointed. "Oh..."

"But I think I have other symptoms. One in particular I won't tell you about...because I'd really rather not." He cleared his throat. "But I can tell you about the sweaty palms, the rapid heart beat, shallow breathing, and sometimes...the room begins to spin."

"Oh-oh, that's nice." Willow smiled. She was wondering about the symptom he wouldn't talk about. She wanted to know what that one was.

Cordelia smiled at them. "Do you two want to be alone?"

Willow blushed and again Xander cleared his throat.

"Well, I'll leave you be. Besides, I'd like to look in on Miss Calendar anyway." She gave Willow another hug. "I'm so glad you're back, Willow. It's really kind of dull around here without you."

Willow stared at her incredulous. "It is?"

"Yeah. You're all right, in your Willowish way." Cordelia waved and she left the room.

Willow looked at Xander. "Did Cordelia Chase just compliment me?"

Xander grinned. "Will wonders never cease?"

Staci was watching Willow with concern. She was hoping that Willow had not grasped where Cordelia had said she was going. Unfortunately, Staci saw the sudden knowing look in Willow's eyes.

"She's going to see Miss Calendar?" Willow looked from Xander to Staci. "What's wrong with Miss Calendar? Why is she in the hospital?"

Xander glanced at Staci. "Willow...you need to think about you right now." He ran his fingers through her hair. "You've been through so much."

She grasped his hands. "No, Xander! You have to tell me what happened."

Staci put her hand on her shoulder. "Miss Calendar is here, Willow. She's been shot, but she is okay."

"Shot?! But who shot her?"

"One of the terrorists shot her."

Willow's eyes began to form tears. "I-I don't understand. Why did they shoot Miss Calendar?"

"We don't know. We don't have all the answers yet, but we will stop them."

Xander hugged Willow to him. "Miss Calendar is going to be all right."

"Bu-but if they're still out there, Xander," Willow began, fear trembling in her voice, "wh-what if they come after me again?! Please don't let them take me!" Her body was trembling as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Xander was suddenly scared for her. "They're not coming back for you, Will. I promise you, they're not. Michael is out there right now making sure they leave you alone. He won't let them come after you. And he will get them for what they put you through and for what they did to Miss Calendar."

They held each other for awhile in silence. Staci rubbed Willows back as the red head buried her face on Xander's chest and cried softly. Staci had seen this so many times before with other victims who had been kidnapped by terrorists. But this time it was harder. It had happened to someone whom she called family.

_"Wiiillooow..."_

Everyone froze.

Staci and Xander turned their heads toward the door and Willow peeked out from where she was huddled against Xander. Her eyes widened in fear.

Julius had entered the hospital room and he had four others with him. He smiled as he showed Willow her collar and leash. "Willow...I've come to take you home." He showed her a box of Animal Crackers. "I've even gotten you some Willow treats for when you behave yourself."

"No-no..." Willow shook her head.

Julius' minions spread out and moved toward them.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	20. The Master's Lair

There were five of them.

The five terrorists of the Iranian Liberation Front were on a mission and they fully intended to carry out that mission at any costs. They were prepared. What they were doing was as simple as diverting the enemy from Abhar Jhamel to buy him time. Before long, it would be all over. Their fearless leader would set off the bomb that would literally destroy the world. However, the terrorists foolishly hung to the belief that their actions would give them great reward in the afterlife.

Because of their beliefs, they did not fear death. Unfortunately for them, there was one large flaw in their great scheme of things. There was an underlying factor that would shortly seal their fate.

Pride.

The terrorists entered into the large cavern of which the Master himself had once resided. It was exactly as they had imagined when they had been told about this great place of evil. They discovered the large pool of blood and they marveled at it as they gathered around it to stare. When the time came for the Hellmouth to open because of the nuclear device, they wondered if the portal would open from within the pool of blood. Within the cavern around them, there were several other avenues to gain entrance into the Master's Lair. Mulder was keeping to the shadows at one of those entrances directly above the terrorists, and the Special Agent of the FBI knew that Lenox was at one of the entrances below. Lenox was at an entrance behind the enemy.

Lenox and Mulder had gone over a plan and they realized that it was relatively simple...in theory. The plan was a two-fold plan.

Pick a target.

Take it down.

Mulder had his Uzi at the ready as he waited. Behind the terrorists, he saw movement. Then he saw that Lenox caused the movement as the Hunter moved away from the entrance he had been in.

One of the terrorists, however, saw a shadow moving across the pool of blood. Mulder had unknowingly moved in the light of a dim bulb above his head at the mouth of the tunnel.

The terrorist suddenly whipped his weapon around to level it at the entrance above and he fired off a burst. Bullets flew around Mulder and he was forced to dive back into the shadows. He pressed his face into the ground as the bullets continued to fly above him. A second terrorist joined in with the first, and they sent a double burst of gunfire Mulder's way.

The other three terrorists began to spread out from the others, intending to take up better positions to gun down the intruder. One of them, however, turned and found himself face to face with Lenox. Lenox just didn't have the heart to shoot the man so _up close and personal._ Instead of shooting the man, the Hunter broke the man's jaw with one quick strike from his Uzi.

The terrorist fell hard as Lenox opened fire on the remaining four terrorists. Suddenly, everyone was shooting and looking for cover. Mulder was finally able to return fire and he was almost overcome with a manic glee as he saw one of the terrorists fall into the pool of blood.

"Wahoo!" he shouted. "Hot-diggity-damn! I got one!"

Lenox glanced up in Mulder's direction. "Don't get cocky, kid!" He looked around the cavern, but the remaining terrorists had taken cover where they could find it. "There's still three more!"

"Don't worry, Yoda!" Mulder called down to him. "The Force is strong in this one!"

A terrorist rose up from hiding and he opened fire at Mulder's position. As Mulder ducked back into the shadows, Lenox opened fire at the terrorist. However, the terrorist quickly took cover. No one had been hit.

The Iranian shouted out obscenities in his own language.

"Speak English if you're going to insult us!" Lenox shouted. "How are you going to make us feel bad if we don't understand what you're saying?!"

There was a pause.

Then the Iranian terrorist responded with, "You cannot defeat us!"

"We've heard that before!" Mulder exclaimed. "Tell us something new!"

"You will fall! Your great country will be crushed! We will detonate the bomb that will unleash hell on this earth! Infidels! You will die and we will have our great reward!!"

Mulder shook his head, even as he knew they couldn't see the gesture. "That's a bunch of horse manuer!! You won't detonate any bomb! You won't unleash hell on earth! You will fail!"

Lenox rolled his eyes. When would the FBI learn that there was just no way to reason with terrorists? Why was Mulder even trying?

"You are a fool!" the terrorist shouted at Mulder. "The nuclear device is being prepared...even as we speak!! It is being set!!"

Mulder reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "You won't get any reward! We will...because we'll set our bomb to go off before you set yours!!"

Lenox frowned. "Wha...?" he said to himself.

Mulder pressed a few buttons on his phone.

Beep...bleep bleep...beep...

In the cavern, the beeping from Mulder's cell phone sounded quite loud. The remaining three terrorists began to look around nervously, wondering what was happening. Even Lenox could not be certain what Mulder was up to, but he was chuckling to himself and shaking his head.

There was sudden silence.

Sometimes, when a person strained to hear the slightest sound around him, he could discover that silence was very loud. For what seemed like a long time but was only ten seconds, no one spoke and no one moved.

Finally, Mulder said softly, "Oh, shit..."

Within the cavern, his soft-spoken comment could be heard be all.

Lenox frowned. "Mulder...? What the hell are you doing?"

"Well..." Mulder paused for affect. "I...uh...I set it to go off a minute earlier than I had meant to."

The terrorists looked at each other with suspicion.

"At least we'll beat the Iranians, Lenox!!" Mulder shouted. "Our bomb will go off before theirs will and we will get the great reward!!" For affect, he opened fire toward the terrorists and shouted out a manic war cry. After his burst from the Uzi, he ducked back into hiding.

Lenox grinned. _Nice try,_ he thought, _but it wouldn't accomplish any thing._

Just as that thought crossed the Hunter's mind, all three of the terrorists suddenly came out into the opening with their weapons at the ready. They began to open fire as they waved their weapons before them. They didn't aim at anything in particular for they were counting on mayhem to do their work for them. All they knew was that they had to kill their enemy before the Americans bomb exploded first. They wanted to go to their deaths fighting.

Lenox and Mulder were a bit more careful, and a lot more accurate. They leveled their weapons and fired with extreme prejudice. Bullets ravaged the enemy's bodies and forced them to dance. Finally, they fell where they had been standing, their weapons no longer firing.

Silence descended within the cavern.

Mulder poked his head out from hiding and looked down. "Hey! Is that all there is?"

Lenox glanced up at him and nodded his head. "Yeah...We got them all."

Mulder began to climb down as he chuckled out loud. "I can't believe they actually fell for that old _cellular phone-beeping bomb_ routine."

Lenox looked down at the bodies, and then he surveyed the cavern with his eyes. Finally, he shook his head. "Neither can I."

_______ _______ _______

Jhamel and his driver strode with determination down the long corridor of Sunnydale High School. They were looking for the library for it was there that Jhamel intended to carry out his plan. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Finally, everything he had been trained for, everything that he had been prepared for had been leading him to this great moment in his life.

To this very hour.

It would be his final hour and it would change the course of history for the entire world. His name would be spoken with reverence and respect, and with fear and awe. He would be hailed and hated. But it would be a glorious thing for him. He smiled as he and his driver continued to make their way along the corridor.

Suddenly, there was the sound of loud screeching that assaulted their ears with no mercy. They stopped in their tracks and covered their ears with their arms. It was worst than when someone scraped nails on a chalkboard. It was so bad they couldn't move. They begged for the noise to stop but it seemed like there would be no end to this hideous torture.

However, just as quickly as it had begun, it stopped.

Slowly, the terrorists lowered their arms and they glared up and down the corridor. Jhamel looked up at the speakers inserted into the ceiling and pointed up at it. The driver nodded his head. But before either of them could say anything, the screeching returned. This time, it was worst on their ears than the first time. Again they covered their ears and Jhamel was almost on his knees.

The screeching stopped again.

Jhamel shouted obscenities at the speaker. Then he grabbed his driver by the collar and shook him. "Find this school's PA system!" he shouted. "Kill whoever is responsible for it!!"

The driver nodded anxiously and then he ran off.

Once the driver was gone, Jhamel continued to glare up at the speaker as if he were daring it to make more noise. When it didn't make any noise, he straightened and began to resume his walk down the corridor.

 _"Attention! Attention!"_ came a man's voice over the speaker.

Jhamel stopped, spun around, and glared at the speaker.

_"This is Principal Crazy Man speaking! Otherwise known as...the Speaker!!"_

Jhamel fumed in anger.

 _"Due to a lack of homework participation amongst the student body, there will be no more chocolate pudding allowed for dessert. It will now be rice--a-roni pudding. The non-creamy, very sticky, very bad uncooked rice pudding."_ There was a pause. The man cleared his throat...quite loudly. _"Abhar Jhamel, please report to the Principal's office. You have been a very bad boy and the school board has called for drastic disciplinary action against you! Therefore, a public spanking has been decreed to be your punishment in the school auditorium. Tickets are on sale. Iranian terrorists must leave all weapons with security! Thank you very much,"_

Suddenly, there was silence."

Jhamel stood still and listened. He could tell that the PA system was still on. Then, he heard a scuffle, as if two people were struggling. The more he listened, the more he was certain that there was a fight going on between two people. A gunshot sounded, followed by a thud.

And then silence.

Jhamel waited.

But the voice returned. _"We return to our regular broadcast to announce that an Iranian student has just been expelled for his uncontrollable flatulence!! It will be some time, however, for the odor to dissipate, so please...all students must wear their gas masks! As for the bad boy Abhar Jhamel, your spanking is long over due!!"_

Jhamel shouted in anger at the speaker, raising his fist at it. He gripped the nuclear device and ran. For a while, it seemed like he was just going in circles but his determination paid off when he finally found what he had been looking for.

The Library.

He ran into it and stopped at the center of the library so he could prepare the timer to explode the bomb.

Someone tapped on his shoulder.

He spun around.

"Welcome to the Cross Roads," Barrington told him, and then he punched him in the face.

The only weapon Jhamel had on him was the device. It was a weapon designed by men. Jhamel, however, considered his own rage to be the most powerful of all weapons he had ever used. He called upon his anger now and unleashed it upon Barrington with a vengeance.

The two men fought hand-to-hand combat. They traded blow for blow, swinging their fists or sending a foot into each other. Jhamel had tried to hit Barrington with the device but the Hunter grabbed his arm and shoved him into a bookshelf. Both of them crashed into the bookshelf, which caused it to topple and fall. They fell hard with it and Jhamel dropped the device.

Barrington sent three fast and furious blows with his fists to the terrorist's face. Then he dove for the device, scooped it up with both hands, and rose to his feet. He just managed to open the side panel of the device when Jhamel dove at him and caught him in a tackle. The two men went crashing through the window where they took the fight outside with them.

Barrington managed to get to his feet first, and he sent a flying kick to Jhamel's face to keep him down longer. Then he took off at a run with the device still in his hand. As he ran, he scooped up something from the ground.

Jhamel angrily rose to his feet. In his hand, he gripped Barrington's .44 Magnum that he had managed to take from the Hunter as they had come through the window. He saw Barrington running off on the school's lawn and so he gave chase. He was very angry and determined to catch the American. No one was going to stop him from his sacred task!!

At the center of the lawn, Jhamel fired a warning shot and Barrington stopped.

"Stay where you are!!" Jhamel shouted.

Barrington slowly turned to face the terrorist as the man approached. "You won't get away with this," Barrington said lamely.

Jhamel leveled the gun at Barrington's head as he held out his free hand. "Give me the device," he ordered calmly.

Barrington paused. "What if I just decide to keep it?"

"Then I will simply shoot you and take it from your corpse."

Barrington nodded thoughtfully. "So...you're giving me one of two choices. Death by bullet or death by nuclear fire." He let out a weary sigh. "Those are not very good choices. Isn't there a third option?"

Jhamel scowled. "No."

Barrington hesitated. Then he handed over the device.

Jhamel took it and stepped back. He quickly looked it over, was apparently satisfied that there was no damage to it, and then he began to set the timer.

"Uhm..." Barrington took a step back. "How many minutes are you setting that for?"

Jhamel smiled. "Why? Do you think you can outrun the blast?"

"I was the best track runner in my high school."

Jhamel laughed. "Then, run, fool! But you will never make it! _Welcome to the Cross Roads,_ infidel! You only have ten seconds to run!" He held the device up proudly.

Barrington took another step back as he held up the Orb of Tesa. "I'm running...with this! By the way, I switched it and replaced it with a mere stone! Your nuclear device is now as powerful as a grenade!" He spun around and ran as fast as he could.

Jhamel stared in horror at the device.

3...2...

 _"Noooooooooooooooooo!"_ he shouted.

The explosion behind Barrington lifted him off his feet and threw him to the ground. It had not been a nuclear explosion. It was a small explosion and it only took the life of one man...Abhar Jhamel, the Speaker.

Barrington rolled onto his back and looked up.

Billy Fronk looked down at him. "Lying down on the job again, I see. Wait'll I tell the others about this. They have such high expectations of you, ya know."

Barrington grabbed his hand and Fronk helped him to his feet. Then they turned to look at the fire from the explosion.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Fronk asked him.

Barrington glanced at him. "We won't be allowed to the School Dance?"

"It means detention. But so much detention that it'll be passed onto our kids...and their kids. And the great grand kids. They'll all have detention because of this."

Barrington looked at him. "Crazy Man...I'm not having any great grand kids with you."

Fronk pretended to sniff back a tear. "Damn...Now I have to go and listen to some Country music."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


	21. Believe

Scully could not believe her eyes.

The Sunnydale Mall was a place of terror. Men, women, and children were running for their lives and screaming out of fear. There were so many things Scully had seen throughout her years on the X-Files and she thought many of those things could be explained whether Mulder wanted to except that or not. What she was seeing now could also be explained, but not in the way she would have expected.

She could not deny what her eyes were telling her.

The villains chasing after innocent lives were clearly not terrorists. And they were not people whose bodies were being ravished by some unknown plague or sickness.

They were vampires.

Scully stood at the top of the stairs and stared in horror as a vampire sank its teethe into a young woman's throat. The woman had been screaming, but now a blank look crossed her face as the vampire fed from her.

Giles grabbed Scully by the arm and shook her. "Deal with your disbelief later!" he exclaimed. "For now, pick a target and aim for the heart!"

Scully nodded as she brought up the crossbow she had been holding and it was already loaded with a wooden bolt. Giles had given it to her to use as they had neared the Mall and at first, she had thought it to be a bit too extreme and outdated. But now she understood the need for it.

She even approved of it.

Below them on the main floor, Buffy was fighting off three vampires. Scully was amazed at the Slayer's fighting ability's. The girl was fast on her feet and quite deadly. As Scully raised her crossbow and sighted on her first kill, Buffy had already staked two, turning the blood-sucking leeches into dust, and was working on the third.

Giles leveled his own crossbow and fired. The bolt hit its target and a vampire turned to dust. Side by side, Giles and Scully began to pick off vampires one by one.

"I'm quite impressed," Giles told her as he reloaded his weapon. "You haven't missed a single one of your targets."

Scully reached for another bolt. She was getting into this. "You're not too bad yourself...even if you did miss one shot."

Just as she was saying that, Giles fired off a shot. The bolt sailed through the air and stuck into the vampires left eye. 

"Make that two." Scully fired as the wounded vampire looked up at them with its one good eye. The bolt from Scully's crossbow struck its heart and ended its miserable existence.

Giles frowned. "I-I didn't realize we were keeping score."

The Watcher was impressed with something else besides the Special Agents superb marksmanship. He noticed there were several people who refused to run from the impending danger...that they had no desire to become victims then or at any other time. Many of them turned the tables and actually began to attack the evil villains. Giles watched in amazement as four teenagers dragged one vampire to the floor and they proceeded to stab it repeatedly with crossbow bolts they had retrieved from the floor.

One of those teenagers was a boy named Jonathan. He was the one who finally hit the heart. When the vampire turned to dust, he looked at the floor in amazement. Then he joined the other teenagers and they sought for another target.

"They're running off!" someone shouted.

Buffy had just slain her seventh vampire and turned it into dust when she heard the shout. She looked around and discovered that it was true. The remaining vampires were fleeing. She had the strangest feeling, however, that their sudden departure had nothing to do with their victims fighting back. Something else was going on. She could feel it.

"Buffy!"

She spun around. She was surprised to see Cordelia running toward her. There was a look of fear and anxiety on her face.

"Cordelia!" Buffy called out as Giles and Scully joined her.

Cordelia ran up to Buffy but then she had to sit down to catch her breath. She reflexively brushed her hair back and Giles, Scully, and Buffy stared at what they saw. Cordelia's neck had imprints of a hand, as if a large hand had been around her throat. There were bruises and her skin was an angry shade of red.

"Oh, my God!" Scully exclaimed as she began to look closely at her neck. "What happened to you?"

"He-he picked me up and choked me!" Cordelia responded in a rush. "He squeezed my throat...I couldn't breathe." There were tears in her eyes and she was still shaking from the experience. "I-I couldn't stop him. He picked me right up from off the floor and I couldn't stop him!!"

Giles looked at her with concern. "Who did this?"

"The Heir!!"

Buffy put her hand reassuringly on Cordelia's shoulder and sat next to her. "I'm so sorry, Cordelia. I should have been there. Are you okay?"

Cordelia shook her head as she tried to control her breathing. "No. I'm not okay. He said he wanted to feed but he would come back for me at another time. He wanted me to give you a message first."

"What message?" Buffy didn't like the way this conversation was heading. She had a very bad feeling it was only going to get worst.

Cordelia looked at Buffy. "I saw Miss Calendar, and then I went back to see Willow. He was taking her away. The Heir was taking Xander and Staci, too!" She hesitated. "I couldn't stop them! You could have, but not me!"

Buffy was already blaming herself. "No one's blaming you, Cordelia," she said softly.

Cordelia looked at Buffy and realized that what she had said made her sound like she was casting blame. She shook her head and would have said something, but Scully also realized what Buffy was thinking. "No one's blaming you either, Buffy," Scully told her. "This is the Heir's doing. Not anyone else can take the blame for these actions."

"The Heir let you go, Cordelia," Giles said as he removed his glasses. "It's quite obvious that we are meant to go after him to free Willow, Xander, and Staci."

Buffy shook her head. "I must go, Giles. No one else has to. I'm the Slayer and that's what I do."

"He has an army, Buffy. You'll need back up."

"Giles, I--"

"Buffy, if you go alone, you will fall alone. And we will eventually join you. If we go with you, we have a fighting chance." He paused as he regarded her. "You are not meant to fight this battle alone."

Buffy didn't know what to say.

"Our only major obstacle right now is in locating his lair."

She threw her hands up into the air in frustration. "I don't know where he took them, Giles! I haven't a clue as to where the Heir's lair is! How are we supposed to find it?" She let out a weary sigh. "They could be anywhere!"

Scully grabbed her cell phone and used the speed dial to pull up her partner's cell phone number. She hit send and looked at the others. "I know where the Heir is taking them. I've seen his lair."

Everyone turned to look at her, surprise evident on their faces.

There was a look of determination on Scully's face as she put her phone to her ear. "Mulder...It's me. We've got a problem. Do you remember that large chamber we saw deep below the quarry?" She paused for affect. "We have to go back!"

_______ _______ _______

Willow was full of despair.

She was forced to wear a collar around her neck, a collar she had tried in vain to remove. The collar was attached to a leash, which only increased the despair she was feeling. The leash itself was secured to a metal ring inserted into a pillar far above her head, out of her reach. This forced her to remain on her feet at all times. She could not sit down for the leash did not give her any room to maneuver. All she could hope to do was stand next to the pillar and lean on it for support because her body could only take so much. She had been standing for almost an hour in her hospital gown and her body was trembling with fatigue and stress.

It was a humiliating experience.

She leaned back against the pillar and looked at the altar on the raised platform. She herself was near that altar. She could look down from the platform and below, there were several vampires standing about. Most of them were leering up at her with malicious grins. They were envious of the Heir, but they would not disobey him. In spite of that, they dreamed of draining her blood.

She quickly looked away from them and tried to control her breathing.

"Do-don't hyperventilate," she told herself. "Breathe...breathe...Think happy thoughts."

Then she looked over the altar and at the far wall on the other side of the chamber. She could see Xander and Staci chained to the wall. Even though she had a clear vision of them, they were too far away from her for them to be able to talk with each other.

Xander didn't like the distance either. He periodically gave his chains a yank, trying to pull them free from the wall, but he kept on failing in his quest for freedom. He slumped against the wall for what seemed to be the hundredth time and scowled. Then he turned his head and saw that Staci was watching him.

He let out a weary sigh. "Did I mention to you that I hate terrorists and vampires?"

Staci nodded. "Yes. You did mention that a few times."

"Well...I still do."

"Xander, I know this looks bad," Staci told him as she looked across the chamber at Willow. "But we will be okay." She saw Jeremiah standing beside Willow.

Willow and Xander were unaware of Jeremiah's presence.

Xander looked at Staci and frowned. "I'd really hate to be the bearer of bad news, Staci, but this not only looks bad...it is bad." He saw the love of his life suddenly stumble and she nearly fell. "Willow!!"

Willow put her hands on the pillar and steadied herself as a wave of nausea and dizziness passed over her. She looked toward Xander and Staci. "I'm- I'm okay!" she called out to them.

Xander angrily gave his chains another tug. He braced his feet against the wall and pulled with everything he had. But the chains would not budge.

"Xander, that won't do any good," Staci said softly.

He let out another sigh. "I know. I know. It's just that I can't stand to see Willow treated like this!" He looked over at Willow, suddenly aware that she was watching him. He tried to give her a reassuring smile but realized all he was doing was showing her a grimace.

Willow, however, smiled back at him.

Her smile alone touched his heart and he yearned to be near her. He smiled back without the grimace. It was a smile for Willow like she had a smile for him. He didn't understand why but he thought that it was the most precious thing in the world just to be sharing something so simple as a smile with the one he truly cared for. Someone he loved.

Staci watched them. Then she said, "She has a very strong spirit, doesn't she?"

Xander nodded his head. "Yes, she does." He hesitated, "But will it be enough for what the Heir has planned for her?"

Staci didn't answer. She didn't know what the final outcome would be. She only knew and believed that it would be okay. Finally, she said, "You love Willow, don't you?"

Without hesitation, Xander answered, "Yes. I do."

"Let her know it."

Xander turned to look at Staci. She smiled encouragingly at him.

He looked over the altar at Willow. Willow smiled at him and kept her eyes focused on him and him alone.

He put his finger at the corner of his eye. "I..." Then he crossed his hands over his chest as if to hug himself. "...love..." He pointed at Willow. "...you."

Willow stared. Then she stumbled and caught herself. Her vision blurred as the tears came.

"Oh, Will!" Xander cried out. He glanced at Staci. "I'm a bad boy!! Bad! I made her cry!"

Staci shushed him. "Xander, it's okay. It's not a bad cry. It's a good cry."

Xander looked over at Willow andsaw that she was giving him the same sign as he gave her. But she added one more at the end by spreading out her arms wide. Then she leaned back against the pillar and smiled.

"What was that?" Xander asked Staci. "At the end, she added something."

Staci smiled at him. "She loves you more."

Xander grinned.

Willow smiled at him from the pillar.

"Why do you smile, pet?" inquired a voice.

Willow spun her head and saw Julius walking up the stone steps toward her. She froze with fear as he drew closer. He stopped before her, looked down at her, and regarded her.

 _"Get the hell away from her, you bastard!"_ Xander shouted.

Julius laughed. "There shall be entertainment here tonight!" He turned to face the lower chamber, where his followers had gathered to adore him. They cheered him. "This is a glorious night! And I can only promise it will get better." He glanced at Willow. "I highly recommend that you go out and find yourself a human. However, you must refrain yourself from feeding. They make wonderful pets."

His followers laughed.

"As for the Slayer...she will soon meet her end." He turned to regard Willow. "Where is your Slayer, girl? Why has she abandoned you?"

Willow didn't respond.

"She will not save you, you know. No one will save you. You will remain here with me until I grow weary of you, and then you will die." He paused as he watched the tears form in her eyes. "You have only yourself to blame for your situation."

She looked puzzled. "What?" she asked hoarsely.

"You were using your computer to access information about Michael Lenox, weren't you?"

She stared at him. "How did...?" She stopped. She was trying to make sense of what Julius was telling her.

"The Iranian Liberation Front has its own computer hackers and I can assure you, they are much better at their jobs than you are. You allowed them to trace your own inquiries about Lenox. We knew who he was. We know that he is a man who is given free reign to hunt us down and kill us like animals. But you didn't know. When you began to look on the Internet, you opened up a trail that led us right to you. We broke into your files, Willow. We learned about the things you learned about Sunnydale and the Hellmouth. We learned about everything...from you."

Willow was in shock. She stood against the pillar and trembled. "It-it's my fault you came here?" she whispered.

Julius nodded. "Yes." He pointed at Staci. "Now look at her."

Willow did.

"Did you realize that because of who she is and who her husband is, she has more enemies in this world than you can possibly imagine? Each of her enemies would do anything to have her in their clutches." He smiled. "Perhaps I can contact them and sell her to the highest bidder!"

"No...please..."

"And then we come to the matter of your boyfriend." He looked over at Xander. "I have thought of a most suitable way to kill him for you. And it will be slow and quite painful, I can assure you."

Xander pulled on his chains. Then he spun around and glared at Julius. "You're a coward!" he shouted. "You think that by keeping us chained up makes you feel like a real man!"

Julius turned to face him, his face was bulging, his eyes were yellow, and he revealed his fangs as he growled menacingly at Xander. He began to approach his captives.

Xander swallowed a lump in his throat. "Okay, I take that back. You couldn't possibly be a coward...with a face like that. Grotesque, maybe. But not a coward."

Julius put his hand around Xander's throat and picked him up without any effort at all. "You want to play, little man? Then play we shall!" He released Xander and pulled out a key. He unlocked the manacles, and before Xander knew what was happening, the Heir picked him up and walked him to the edge of the platform.

He tossed him.

Xander hit the ground hard, and he felt his breath rushing out. As he caught his breath and got to his knees, he found that a large gathering of vampires had formed a circle around him. He looked up at them and knew he was going to be very dead very soon.

Julius smiled as he turned to look at Willow. "Watch as your boyfriend gets torn apart."

"Xander!!" Willow screamed.

Phhhhtt!

Phhhhtt, phhhhtt, phhhhtt!

Four vampires suddenly turned to dust right before Xander's eyes. He got to his feet and something just brushed past his ear. Another vampire turned to dust.

Julius frowned. "What have you done?!" he demanded.

Three more turned to dust just as one of the minions pointed up to a hole in the wall above them. "There!" he shouted.

All eyes turned and Xander blinked. Giles and Scully were firing bolts from crossbows.

Suddenly, there was the wild sound of Tarzan doing his wilderness call. Vampires turned to one of the entrances and one of them immediately turned to dust as a wooden pole was thrust through his heart. Fronk whipped the pole aside and speared another one.

 _"Here he comes to save the day!!"_ Fronk sang out. _"Mighty Fronk is on the way!"_

Behind Fronk, Lenox and Barrington charged in with their silver swords at the ready. Mulder, Spike, and Angel charged out from another entrance and Mulder gripped a sword. Just what he always wanted.

Mulder swished the sword through the air. "Wahoooo!" he exclaimed.

Spike ducked. "Hey! Watch it with that thing, you dolt. I am on your bloody side."

Mulder laughed. "Sorry about that, Blondie. But I've never experienced an X-Files like this." He shook his head. "Fighting against vampires while teamed up with two vampires? Hell, forget aliens! They'll lock me up and throw away the key after this one!"

Julius stared in astonishment as he watched the battle begin. Xander had taken the opportunity to try to get up the stone steps intending to get to Willow but two vampires got in his way. Ignoring them, Julius decided that in his rage he was simply going to kill his beloved pet. It was all her fault anyway.

"Willow," he began as he turned to look at her. His back was to the altar. "I think it's time for a treat."

"I've got your treat right here for you, Heir," said a voice from behind. "I would have thought you liked your steaks raw and juicy, but all I could get you was...Mr. Pointy." 

Julius turned around.

Buffy was standing on the altar with her hands on her hips. Her special stake was gripped in her right hand. "Let's just get to the point, shall we? When you see the Master right after I send you to Hell, you can give him my regards."

"You think you can defeat me?" Julius growled. "I am the Heir!"

"Let me think..." Buffy nodded. "Yep. I can. In fact, Heir today, gone tomorrow sounds just about right to me. Actually, let's make that gone tonight!" She swung her foot and caught the Heir below the chin, throwing his head back. Then she dove off the altar and the real fight began.

Buffy got in a lot of good hits when the fight started. She spun and kicked him several good ones, but then he began to block her blows. He gave her several hits of his own and she began to worry. She realized he was barely hurt from what she had dished out and yet her body was aching horribly from his blows.

Willow watched in horror as she, too, realized that Buffy was not going to win this fight. Buffy was going to lose.

Buffy was going to die.

Willow shook her head. "No..."

As if in slow motion, she saw Julius send a blow to Buffy's face. The Slayer's head turned with the blow and blood flew from her lips.

Willow looked toward the lower chamber and saw two vampires trying to kill Xander. He threw punches and kicks at them, but they were wearing him down. It was only a matter of time before they... _No! There had to be a way. There just had to be a way!_

Suddenly, the collar around her neck slipped off and fell into her hand.

She stared at it. Then she looked up and saw Jeremiah.

He put a hand upon her shoulder. "Willow..." he said with a reassuring smile. "Believe. The most powerful force on earth is to have faith and use it."

Willow turned and saw Julius holding Buffy by the throat. He had her above the ground and he was laughing as he squeezed. Buffy was unable to breathe.

 _"Noooo!"_ Willow shouted.

It was at that moment when a sudden feeling of calm came over her. She knew without a doubt that somehow she was going to win this battle. She looked at Julius with a new determination as she slowly approached him.

"Let her go, demon!" she commanded.

Julius didn't let Buffy go, but he did turn his head to look at Willow. He opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped when he saw Willow's face.

There was fire in her eyes.

"I said... _Let her gp!"_ Willow shouted. She raised a hand.

Something pried Julius' fingers from Buffy's throat and she dropped to the ground. She gasped for breath, and looked at Willow. Her friend was completely engulfed in a white light, and yet her features could be seen clearly. Her hair whipped around her head as if caught in a wind.

Julius spun around to face her. "How can this be?! You are not strong!"

Willow's hands went to her sides and she had her palms facing Julius. _"Back, demon!"_

All motion seemed to stop. The fighting below ended as everyone seemed to sense that something powerful was happening. They saw Julius flying across the entire length of the chamber where he collided into a wall. He fell to the ground, groaning. As he staggered to his feet, he was aware that all eyes were upon him.

Willow was standing on the raised platform with her hands still at her sides and her palms facing out, and she was looking out toward Julius with her head bowed low. Bright colorful spots were spinning around her head.

"I will look upon my enemy, and I will cast him into the void. I will send him to the blackest depths of Hell where he may never return." Her voice echoed loudly throughout the chamber. _"He will be bound and cast into outer darkness! There shall be wailing and gnashing of teethe!!"_

Suddenly, it was as if all of their eyes were opened.

Everyone stared as seven large angelic creatures appeared from behind Willow. They dove onto Julius with a fury and the struggle began. He shouted and cursed as he tried to fend them off, but they were upon him and they would not be so easily defeated. The angelic creatures began to bind him with heavy chains and they lifted him up off the floor. In fact, they were all floating up from the floor.

Lenox and Xander ran up the steps to reach Willow. But they stopped suddenly as the ground began to shake.

Buffy looked down at the lower chamber. _"Get off the floor!"_ she shouted.

Angel, Spike, Mulder, Fronk, and Barrington managed to make it to the raised platform as the ground literally began to tear open directly below the vainly struggling Julius and the angelic creatures. Several vampires fell into the hole and they screamed as they vanished into it. A horrible sound omitted from that hole. There was screaming, and the sounds of a roaring fire. Julius continued to struggle but it was no use. The creatures dropped him into it and the earth closed, swallowing him whole.

The angelic creatures vanished.

The shaking stopped.

Even all of the vampires were gone with the exception of Spike and Angel.

Giles and Scully had joined the others from their hiding place from above, but everyone was looking at Willow. She had collapsed onto the platform and was lying still.

Xander reached her first and he held her in his arms.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to look at him. "Xander?"

Xander smiled at her. "Will...are you okay?"

"I-I think I'm going to fall...will you catch me?"

He didn't want to tell her that she had already fallen. "I've got you," he assured her.

She paused. She looked at him with her green eyes. "I-is it over?"

"It's over."

"Oh...well, good. Because I th-think I'm going to pa-pass out." She closed her eyes. Then she opened them. "You-you don't mind, do you?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't mind, Will." He kissed her on the cheek. "You rest, and I'll take care of you."

She looked into his eyes. "You won't let me go?"

"Not in a million years."

She smiled. "Wow...That...that's a really long time..." Then she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

Xander kept his promise. From that day on, he didn't let her go. And he never would. 

_______ _______ _______ ________ _______ _______ _______


	22. The Seed

Willow opened her eyes.

She was in a hospital bed...again. She could see that the sun was just beginning to rise as the sunrays came in through her window. She looked around and then she found Xander had pulled up a chair beside her bed. He was currently in that chair and his arms were on the bed by her side with his head over them.

He was sound asleep.

Willow smiled thoughtfully and she marveled at the idea that he was truly there with her. She hesitantly brought her hand to his head because she didn't want to wake him, but she did want to run her fingers through his hair. She wanted to touch him.

*Was it possible?* she asked herself. *Was there a chance that we could really be together?*

She found herself twirling his hair with her fingers.

For a while, she continued to play with his hair. She did this until Xander spoke without moving. "That kind of feels good," he said softly.

Willow froze. "Oh, uhm, do you want me to stop?"

He turned his head slightly so that he could look up at her. "Will, I said it feels good. You don't have to stop...unless you want to."

She continued to run her fingers through his hair. "If I stop, th-then you won't be like putty in my hands, so I'll just keep on doing this." She paused. "Yeah, that's what I'll do. I heard this can make a man completely susceptible to suggestion, so all I have to do is keep on doing this and then I'll give you orders." She nodded. "I'll have you wrapped around my little pinky. You'll do whatever I say, won't you, Xander?"

Xander chuckled. Then he sat up, took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "You don't have to run your fingers in my hair to make me do your every whim, Will." He smiled. "All you have to do is look at me and I swear to you, all I can give you and all that I have is yours."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Willow smiled. Then she blinked and looked at him. "Xander..."

"Yeah, Will?"

She took a deep breath. "I-I'm feeling tingly again."

He looked at her. "I do that to you? I make you go all so tingly?"

She nodded, watching him. "Well, yeah...That is all your fault, the tinglies."

"What exactly about me makes you tingle?"

She took a deep breath again. "Oh, well..." she hesitated, "it-it happens whenever you walk into a room, or when the light shines on your face, or-or when you come near me, when you smile, when you-you talk to me." She smiled and she snuggled back as she thought of the things she liked about Xander. "Oh, and when you do those frustrating pouts when you can't grasp something during the times we study. And when you carry my books, and--"

Xander looked surprised. "Will, there's more?"

She looked at him. "Yes. There's more." She paused. "It's just you and your Xanderish ways that make me feel the way I do, Xander." She gazed into his eyes. "Everything about you makes me tingle. Everything about you makes me love you more."

Xander regarded her in wonder. "How, uhm...how long have I had this affect on you?"

She glanced at their hands, marveling that Xander was still holding her hands in his. She looked at his face. "Since the day you stole my Barbie."

"Your Barbie?" He couldn't help but grin at her.

"Well...Xander...it-it's not about the Barbie really. It wasn't the Barbie you stole 'cause soon after that, you stole my heart."

Xander took a deep breath. "Wow. I had no idea what I started. But we were kids back then, Will."

"We were kids. Out hearts were open. At least mine was. And you were the only boy who ever talked to me or spent time with me. You planted a seed, Xander. Now the seed has sprouted and you're all I think about when I'm thinking." She paused. "You stole my heart, and even now, you still hold my heart in your hands." A single tear appeared at the corner of her eye. "They say that true love can hurt. I know that's true. There were days when I wanted so badly to be with you and when I couldn't, it hurt to breathe."

Xander moved from the chair and he sat on the bed next to her. He still held her hands in his. "I'm sorry I hurt you in that way," he said softly. "I can't stand the thought of hurting you, Will."

"Xander, I--"

"No, Will. It's my turn now. I guess I have some things to say to you that...well, I should have said long before now." He cleared his throat. "I know I've done things to hurt you. You know...the Buffy thing. The Cordelia thing." He stopped and tried to gather his thoughts. "I know I've practically thrown myself at their feet and you were even there to help me overcome my fear of asking Buffy out...which I did. And that blew up in my face."

"I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be sorry, Will. Don't you ever be sorry." He looked at her. "I went home that night, I listened to Country music, and for awhile, I wallowed in the throes of self pity. But then I found myself thinking about you."

She looked at him. "You thought of me?"

He nodded. "I did. And, well...I have a confession to make to you." He got up and walked over to the stand on the other side of the bed. He opened the drawer and pulled out a brown paper bag. Then he returned to sit beside her and he looked at her. "When we were kids, Will, I stole your Barbie."

She shrugged. "But...we were kids, and-and I've heard this confession before."

"No. You didn't. I stole it from you but there was a reason for it."

"You were a boy. It's what boys do to girls. They steal things from them because they think they can get away with it."

"I did it because I was afraid."

Willow looked puzzled. "You were afraid?" she asked. "Of what?"

"Of losing you." He ran a hand through his hair. "You see, I really liked you...a lot. And, well, what do kids know? The real reason that boys steal things from girls is not because they can. At least, that wasn't it with me. When a boy likes a certain girl, he'll take something that belongs to her. Something important to them. I took your Barbie because it was important to you but having it made me feel like I had a part of you with me." He looked into her eyes. "Does that make any sense to you?"

She thought about it. "Well...I guess that makes sense." She paused. "Wait a minute...are you saying you stole my Barbie because you liked me?"

He nodded.

"But...well, what did you do with Barbie, Xander?"

"Well, I, uhm, I--" He took a deep breath and looked at Willow.

"You stood her up and shot at her with your BB-Gun?!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Xander shook her head. "No, I--"

"You used her as a voodoo doll and stuck pins into her!" She frowned. "Xander! You used her as a science project and-and dismembered her! How could you?!" She had another thought. "Oh, Xander...you locked her up in a room alone with...GI Joe...Oh, Xander!"

Xander put a finger to her lips and shushed her. "Will! Willow." He smiled wryly. "I didn't do any of those things to Barbie."

She looked at him.

"I kept her."

"You kept her?"

He nodded. He opened the bag and brought out Willow's Barbie. He handed the doll over to Willow and watched her face.

Willow stared in wonder at Barbie. It was the same doll and there wasn't a blemish on it. The doll still looked brand new. "Xander...you really kept her?" She looked at him in surprise. "You-you play with dolls?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "No, Will." He paused. "I've kept Barbie on a shelf in my closet since the day I took her from you. And whenever I was feeling down or even whenever I was feeling good, I would take her down and...and I would think of you."

"Having Barbie there made you feel like...I was there?"

He nodded. "Something like that. Yeah." He reached into the bag and pulled out something else. "Do you remember when I gave Buffy a bracelet during cheerleader tryouts?"

Willow nodded.

"That was the second bracelet I had engraved." He handed her a bracelet. "This was the first."

Willow looked at the bracelet. On the front was engraved...

_Xander & Willow_

And on the back was engraved... _Always & Forever_

She looked into Xander's eyes. "You...you really do have feelings for me!"

"Willow...I love you."

She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. Xander returned the embrace and together, they simply just held each other for a while. She didn't want to let go. She pressed her face into his neck and held onto him tightly. Xander had no desire to let go either.

While they held onto each other, Willow said, "Xander?"

"Yes, Will?"

She paused. "Do we really have to wait for the fourth date?" Then she said quickly, "Uhm...May-maybe we can still wait, but...you know what they say about practice...don't you?"

He moved and looked into her eyes.

She found herself gazing at his lips.

Xander smiled. "Yeah. I know what they say about practice. It makes perfect."

Willow hesitated, "Well...then shouldn't we, uhm...practice just a little?"

Xander brought his face close to Willow's and as she closed her eyes, he pressed his lips softly to hers. They kissed each other and Xander held her face in his hands gently.

After their kiss, Xander moved back and looked at Willow. She still had her eyes closed and a dreamy smile played across her lips. Her breathing was steady and he was surprised to discover that she was sound asleep.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______


End file.
